Jean-Claude Risset
Jean-Claude Risset was a French composer, best known for his pioneering contributions to computer music. Risset was a former student of André Jolivet and former co-worker of Max Mathews at Bell Labs.
Risset was born in Le Puy-en-Velay, France. Arriving at Bell Labs, New Jersey in 1964, he used Max Mathews' MUSIC IV software to digitally recreate the sounds of brass instruments. He made digital recordings of trumpets and studied their timbral composition using "pitch-synchronous" spectrum analysis tools, revealing that the amplitude and frequency of the harmonics of these instruments would differ depending on frequency, duration and amplitude. He is also credited with performing the first experiments on a range of synthesis techniques including FM Synthesis and waveshaping.
After the discrete Shepard scale Risset created a version of the scale where the steps between each tone are continuous, and it is appropriately called the continuous Risset scale or Shepard-Risset glissando.
Risset has also created a similar effect with rhythm in which tempo seems to increase or decrease endlessly.Risset was the head of the Computer Department at IRCAM. At MIT Media Labs, he composed the first Duet for one pianist. For his work in computer music and his 70 compositions, he received the first Golden Nica, the Giga-Hertz Grand Prize 2009, and the highest French awards in both music and science.
Risset died in Marseille on 21 November 2016.Vocal music
Orchestral music
- Escalas, for large orchestra 17'
- Mirages, for 16 musicians and tape 24'
Chamber music
- Profils, for 7 instruments and tape 18'
- Mutations II for ensemble and electronics 17'
Solo music
- Trois études en duo, for pianist 10'
- Huit esquisses en duo, for pianist 17'
- Voilements, for saxophone and tape 14'
- Passages for flute and tape 14'
- Variants for violin and digital processing 8'
Music for solo tape
- Invisible Irène 12'
- Sud 24'
- Songes 10'
- Trois mouvements newtoniens, for tape 13'
- Mutations 10'
- Computer Suite from Little Boy 13'
