VOX-2 by Trevor Wishart. From soundscape to concrete metaphor

Abstract

This analysis aims at demonstrating the validity of the realistic, metaphoric and symbolic domains in apprehending electroacoustic music pieces which use referential sounds. Particularly, it is Trevor Wishart’s work in its entirety that is adapted to a semantic-symbolic vision journeying from the composer’s point of view to that of the listener. After an overview of Wishart’s compositional concepts and of the cycle in which VOX-2 appears, the article tries to describe the various stylistic orientations which this piece engages, from acoustic ecology to real-time mixed works.