Les Unites Semiotiques Temporelles
Nouvelles cles pour l’ecoute
(Outil d’analyse musicale)

CD ROM by MIM (Laboratoire Musique Informatique de Marseille)
Marseille, 2003, ISBN 2-9506677-4-0
CD ROM, comes with a color informational insert

Reviewed by Chris Cobb

ccobbsf@hotmail.com

You can’t help but learn something new every time you use this fascinating CD Rom by MIM. It offers historical background, composer biographies, sample analyses and multiple ways to examine musical compositions. Rather than being just a tutorial or a manual, Nouvelles cles pour l’ecoute (New Tools for Listening) also addresses issues of nuance and philosophy in music.

Whether you are a composer, a musician or are simply curious about how music is created, Nouvelles cles pour l’ecoute will hold your interest. Young people and students will benefit from its intuitive and easy to use interface. There are games, puzzles and text that illuminate various musical terms. In fact, the more technical/philosophical concepts such as "Trajectoire inexorable" (relentless trajectory) and "Lourdeur" (heaviness) are explained in a section that presents a context for numerous ideas. It is a pleasure to see some of the more esoteric and philosophical aspects of music placed alongside the technical. One great strength is the section with links that allow you to find more information outside of the CD. With Nouvelles cles pour l’ecoute, its encylopedic nature makes this a great resource that would be a good addition to any library.

My favorite part is when a cursor floats over the written score of Debussy’s "La Terrasse de audiences du Claire de lune." You can see and hear the score as it is played. I like the feeling of insight this gives me. What’s more is that upon seeing a direct relationship between the written score and the music I feel closer to the composer’s ideas. I can imagine how Debussy must have changed notes to get it just the way he wanted. After all, I can see it right there in front of me. There is something reassuring in the knowledge that every written note has a corresponding sound. But that’s not all - the same thing is done with an anonymous Gregorian chant from the 12 th century (Alleluia non vos relinquam), and music by Dutilleux and Reibel. Each section contains hyperlinks and is extensively cross-referenced. More than 76 musical topics are examined.

MIM promotes music education and has sponsored conferences on various subjects. This will work on any computer with a processor that runs at 200mz or higher.

Check out MIM activities and events at their website: http://www.labo-mim.org