Audible Architectures: Integrated Spatialization in Electroacoustic Music Composition.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

With the advent of electroacoustic music in the mid-twentieth century came the promise of a musical language in which space would be a determinant co-equal with pitch, rhythm, and timbre in expression and structural function. The primary means through which composers pursue this possibility is spatialization, the practice of distributing sound in space using loudspeaker arrays. Yet despite considerable advancement in the accessibility and sophistication of spatial audio technology over time, the landscape of creative spatialization techniques, theories, and tools remains fragmented. Thus the practical integration of space in composition continues to pose significant challenges.This dissertation investigates the ideal conditions for an aesthetic of integrated spatialization, in which space is developed in parallel with, and as a full participant in, musical form and texture. Central to this project is a theory of spatialization paradigms: coherent frameworks for spatial composition or performance that relate technical methods to aesthetic priorities and perceptual effects, thereby establishing a basis for assessing the musical implications of diverse practices. This theory supports the presentation and discussion of Space Control, an original software application that enables integrated spatialization through intuitive design of precise spatiotemporal sound trajectories. Finally, a critical analysis of spatialization in three original compositions—strung, Saturns hår, and Kohelet—examines the development of spatialization paradigms in creative contexts, demonstrating how compositional practice itself can define and refine workflows for integrating space with musical expression and form.This research suggests that integrated spatialization is best supported by tools that provide intricate, deferred-time specification of spatial parameters in conjunction with real-time, aural feedback. Such tools facilitate reflection and revision within the composition process, affording iterative development of optimal solutions through compromise between abstract design and concrete experience. These findings emphasize the importance of investing not only in the development of spatial audio technologies but also in the conceptual, perceptual, and practical frameworks that enable realization of space as a meaningful dimension of music.