ImaginaryTechnologiesofMusic

AndrewHugill,2016CentreforCreativeComputing

BathSpaUniversity

AlfredJarry

AlfredJarry (1873-1907) Ubu Roi (1896)

ʼPataphysics• Pataphysics […]isthescienceofthatwhichissuperinduced upon

metaphysics,whetherwithinorbeyondthelatter'slimitations,extendingasfarbeyondmetaphysicsasthelatterextendsbeyondphysics.

• Pataphysics willbe,aboveall,thescienceoftheparticular,despitethecommonopinionthattheonlyscienceisthatofthegeneral.

• Pataphysics willexaminethelawswhichgovernexceptions,andwillexplaintheuniversesupplementarytothisone;or,lessambitiously,willdescribeauniversewhichcanbe- andperhapsshouldbe-envisagedintheplaceofthetraditionalone[…]

• DEFINITION.Pataphysics isthescienceofimaginarysolutions,whichsymbolicallyattributesthepropertiesofobjects,describedbytheirvirtuality,totheirlineaments.

• ExploitsandOpinionsofDoctorFaustroll,pataphysician

Pataphysical Declensions

• Clinamen (fromEpicurus)• Antinomy(contraKant)• Syzygy(asinastronomy)• Anomaly(doesnotfit)

ImaginaryTechnologiesofPataphysics

• AlfredJarry– Labâton-à-physique– Lapompe-à-merdre– Lamachinedudécervelage– Lamachineà inspirerl’amour– Lamachineavoyagerdans letemps

• RaymondRoussel– LocusSolus

• MarcelDuchamp– TheLargeGlass

• JorgeLuisBorges– TheLibraryofBabel

Categories

• Technologiesthatwereonceimaginary,butwhichnowexist

• Imaginarytechnologiesthathaveneverbeenandneverwillberealized

• Imaginarytechnologiesthatareormaybeintheprocessofbeingdeveloped.

CommonThemes

• Musicthatisclosertonature• Musicthatcapturescelestialmystery• Musicmadebyincrediblemachines• Musicofanidealisedfuture

1532– FrançoisRabelais:GargantuaetPantagruel (“lesparolesgêlées”)

1626– FrancisBacon:TheNewAtlantis(sound-houses)

1657– CyranodeBergerac:L'Autre monde:Histoirecomique desEstats etempiresdela

Lune

1814– E.T.A.Hoffman:DieAutomate

1815– J.P.R.Cuisin LaGalanterie souslasauvegarde deslois

1831– Honoré deBalzac:Gambara

1843– AdaByron(LadyLovelace):SketchoftheAnalyticalEngine

1887– W.H.Hudson:ACrystalAge

1888– EdwardBellamy:LookingBackward

1900– RaymondRoussel:Impressionsd’Afrique

1960– J.G.Ballard:TheSound-sweep

1985– KimStanleyRobertson:TheMemoryofWhiteness

ImaginaryComposers• 1796WilhelmWackenroder: Dasmerkwürdigemusikalische Leben desTonkünstlers JosephBerglinger

• 1872ElizabethSaraSheppard:CharlesAuchester• 1880 Catulle Mendès:LeRoi Vierge• 1904-1912Romain Rolland:Jean-Christophe• 1913ProustUnAmourdeSwann:LeSonate deVinteuil• (1946AndréBreton:SilenceisGolden)• 1947ThomasMann:DoctorFaustus• 1951-71AnthonyPowell:ADancetotheMusicofTime• 1954LucienRebatet:LesÉpis mûrs• 1978GeorgesPerec LaViemoded'emploi

FurtherReading

• MuseumofImaginaryInstruments• ’Pataphysics:AUselessGuide