Vox: music now. programme 7

For the concert season 1987 the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, Music Section/Television, presents an innovation: VOX. There will be eight programmes in all, produced by a staff of six. Vox will discuss various aspects of music today, including non traditional subjects, like data technology, today’s sound environment, relationship sound/picture, seen from a musical point of view. The production staff include: the composer/musicians Haakon Berge and Christian Eggen who have both considerable musical experience, and who are also “children of our time”, furthermore four permanent NRK staff members: Morton Thomte, producer; Ida Simonse and Torsteni Vegheim, production managers; and Bjorn Lien, cameraman. We have called our first programme: “Search for new sound”. During our century, there has been a continuous search for new sound possibilities. Since before the first World War composers and engineers have been striving for the perfect instrument that would enable human beings to think in music direct. In that connection the musician has for many, represented a detour. Quite early electricity seemed to offer possibilities. And now the aim has been reached: Modern Data technology has made it possible to construct machines that open quite new perspectives. According to the French composer Tristan Murail it could be said that only now music will begin ! This does, of course, not only apply to composers. And even for pop music, sound research has been invaluable. As a matter of fact, practically every rock group and rock recording is, partly or totally, based on synthetic sound. What will be the consequences for music, for man, for the musician? Perhaps VOX will give an answer?