A Free Invention for George Pitcher

Commissioned by Jeffrey Edelstein in honor of the 88th birthday of Princeton professor emeritus of philosophy George Pitcher, A Free Invention for George Pitcher is a piece of generative software created in Max/MSP that interweaves recordings of composer & musicologist Edward T. Cone teaching a counterpoint class at Princeton in 1973 with sampled acoustic instruments, electronic tones & the sound of the wind to create a constantly shifting sonic meditation on memory, serendipity & the passage of time.

How did this project use Max?

This project uses Max/MSP to generatively combine sound recordings from Edward T. Cone's counterpoint class at Princeton (chalkboard sounds, his voice, &c.) with ever-changing melodic & harmonic materials drawn from sampled acoustic instruments (piano, strings, winds, brass) as well as electronic tones (triangle & sine waves). The patch is bundled in an application that replaces recording as the format of the work. Each time the application is turned on, the piece is slightly different without losing its essential, recognizable characteristics.