Tod Machover

## **Introduction**

Tod Machover was born November 24th, 1953 in Mount Vernon, New York and is a composer and innovator in the application of technology in music. He is recognized as one of the most important innovative composers inventing new technology for music including Hyperinstruments (1986). He received his BM and MM from the Julliard School of Music and then was named Director of Musical Research at IRCAM in 1980. His Hyperinstrument creations include the hypercello, hyperbow, hyperpiano, and hyperviolin.

## **Work Analysis**

The piece I will be analyzing is Machover's Symphony in D. Symphony in D premiered November 20th, 2015 and is an ode to Detroit Michigan. Tod Machover asked as many Detroiters he could find including children as young as 8 years-old "What does Detroit sound like?" and "What do you think Detroit is going to look like when you're in high school?" Symphony in D is compiled of five movements each a different aspect or characteristic of Detroit. Charles Greenwell the conductor of Symphony in D's world premiere described each movement. Movement one is complex and is described by Machover as "complex as Detroit itself." The second, "Black Bottom Bass" is described as a sensation that Machover developed that says all music grows from the ground up. Movement three, "Belle Isle Interlude" is quiet and more gentle in sound. Movement four, "Dreams and Memories," includes areas of improvisation and stories that are told on stage while the music plays in the background. The last movement "Together in D," has a heavy bass line and includes both the orchestra and many other Detroit musicians. From my perspective, the piece opens up with a variety of different percussion noises and a graceful string line over the top of it. This noise is most likely to represent daily city noises heard through-out Detroit. The second and third movements are suspenseful and full of long sustained notes and syncopation. The fourth movement includes poems dedicated to Detroit and some of the awful societal situations forced on the citizens. Behind the words, there are long sustained notes and odd percussion noises that represent the night time. The poem is quite melancholy and creepy in sound. There are many stories told by senior citizens and longtime Detroit residents explaining their witnesses as children and young adults. Children share their wishes and dreams or Detroit's future. After the stories, the music picks up and another poem begins. Movement five begins with an electronic pulsating bass beat. This movement has a lot of African American percussion feel to it with the use of bongos and fast pace marimba and glockenspiel melodies. A choir is introduced towards the end to add a more modern and cultural aspect to the piece. Other modern techniques used within this movement include the electric guitar and electric bass.The piece ends with a loud and sharp cut off from the whole orchestra.

## **Comparisons**

It can be said that many of Machover's influences are from the life around him hence Symphony in D. While in school he studied under Elliot Carter and Roger Sessions who helped him to further his compositional skills and likely gained influences from their techniques. While in Paris Machover was introduced to Giuseppe di Giugno's digital synthesizer 4 series which sparked his interest in the augmentation of instruments and electronics.

## p**Observations**

I thoroughly enjoyed the modern techniques Machover uses in his pieces. The use of synthesizers and electric instruments adds a great deal of character to the piece and show great advances in technology and music. Reading more on the piece, the state of Detroit at the time, and hearing the personal stories and dreams of individual residents gave the piece more meaning and depth.

## **Works Cited**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tod\_Machover

https://www.dso.org/symphonyind

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/arts/music/detroit-symphony-tackles-an-adventurous-premiere.html

https://boosey.com/cr/music/Tod-Machover-Symphony-in-D/100342

https://www.media.mit.edu/people/tod/overview/