Modular music

“Once located the original module (A), the composer of successive modules will aggregate with module B anticipating performance of his composition to be executed with the original module. The following solutions therefore: A, or A+B. Upon the superimposition of ulterior modules (C, D, E …), the composition is well into the process of extension. The execution or performance of the individual pieces B and C as autonomous compositions is not expected. Not to be excluded the possibility of accepting modules B or C as original in terms of developing and expanding the creation replacing module A. In fact nothing is to prevent further development by a third composer ignoring modules B or C and creating a new B module which will inaugurate a new expansionary orientation. This is referred to as Parallel Aggregations“.[5]

“When it is possible to perform the various modules according to a random selection, it becomes an independent aggregation. The original module A may be performed alone or in combination with the modules B and C. The same can be said for each module A,B and C. The letters associated with each module are chronological references as to when the works were composed. Any combination is therefore possible: A, A+B, B, B+C, A+C, C, A+B+C“.[6]

“Modular scores may be developed on various planes (continuous aggregations and independent aggregations) each following their developmental criteria and rules of combination.

The aggregation to a modular project may in turn be constructed following the modular method described; that, which is valid for the macro-structure, is applicable to the internal development of individual modules, thus creating further sub module aggregations limited, however, in the level of intervention therefore establishing:

One exception to the rule which prohibits modifications to existing modules retained valid, is a particular case of aggregation: negative aggregation or of silences. Although there are no changes to the fundamental score in existence, the application of silences suppresses and eliminates some precise moments. Silences obscure, not because of disapproval but for added stimulation not as a result of what it did not do but a conquest of making an algebraic negative sign resulting in a spectacular motion of opposing an aggregation already occurred.“[7]

Since 2000 the modular methodology has been spread involving worldwide composers through many modular projects. Several such compositions were performed in Europe, South America, Asia and in North America and discussed through conferences in Europe and in the United States. The approach is being academically discussed at the University of West Georgia[8] and the Carrollton Cultural Arts Centre in the USA, at the “G. D’Annunzio” University of Chieti–Pescara Italy, and at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.[9] Minas Borboudakis has dedicated the third part of his trilogy ROAI III for piano and electronics to the modular methodology. The composer Andy DiGelsomina has featured variations on the modular approach in his recent "Lyraka Symphony no. 1", which he elaborates on (with musical examples) in his personal blog. [10]

Modularity can be applied to every language of art in many different ways.

Marcel Duchamp's intervention on Leonardo’s Monna Lisa: the moustache is, in all ways, a modular effect. Greek-born conceptual artist Leda Luss Luyken, who was initially trained as an architect, has been exploring ModulArt in the medium of painting since the 1990s. In her work standardized canvas panels are mounted as modules onto a steel frame within which they can be moved and rotated. American artist Mitzi Cunliffe developed sculptures consisting of multiple blocks about twelve inches square which she put together in a variety of combinations to give a sculptured effect on a large scale. Another portfolio of interactive modular art comes out of Studio for A.R.T. and Architecture, a New York-based firm headed by Donald Rattner.[11] Rattner has designed modular art in the media of wall sculpture, rotational paintings, tapestries, artist's wallpapers and artist's books. The Gruppo 1, made up of Biggi, Frascà, Pace, Santoro, Uncini and Carrino, in the 1960s elaborated a conception of sculpture being a collective project with works developed by assembling basic elements—modules, in the true sense of the word—which could be modified in any moment, sometimes with the intervention of the public. The term modular applied to visual arts was first mentioned in 1975 in a German arts encyclopedia as "a form of art […] made by movable elements that […] transfer the object into a new state of being by moving their variable parts"[12]

SalmodieSubliminali (Campanotto Editions, Udine, 2007) is a book of modular poems[13] in which Stefano Vagnini connects words so that new meanings comes out from the sentence. Every line can be extended with new words, always connected.

When different languages coexist, multimediality becomes a natural opening for the modular work. The artist's desire to experiment is combined with the necessity to adapt to codes and communicative languages in constant evolution. Using at the same time different languages is not just the research of innovative aesthetic solutions, superficial strategy used to capture who enjoys with distraction; multimediality becomes, by modular art, a natural answer to the artist that wants to join the project. In Modular Music, the term polimediality is preferred, because a multimedia work is usually already conceived as a multi-art language work. In a modular project, the opportunity to add modules using different languages depends on the artist who decides to join the work.

In a modular project, many different cultures can coexist in the project without having to use a hybrid language. Coexistence so that people can enjoy the taste of the combination of different cultural expressions and traditions. Modular art must be considered an alternative to that phenomenon called contamination.

• Back to Bach
• Sconcerto
• Gabersuite
• SacrAriae[14]
• Small Packages from Italy
• Visions
• The Gothic Dream
• Sweet Suite Life
• Volare
• FaceBach
• Sono Ergo Sum[15]

Stefano Vagnini's 2002 modular oratorio depicting the fourteen Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis,[16] composition for organ, computer, choir, string orchestra and brass quartet. Via Crucis represents Stefano Vagnini’s first intuition of the process of aggregations and the demonstration of the potential of the method. It is an oratorio made by continuous modules composed by the same musician in different moments.

• Originary Module - A: organ (two manuals and pedalboard) is the first module; it is divided into 14 movements, one for each station.

Being the original module, it may be presented to the public solo, for a total length of 50 minutes.

• Module - B: computer is to be overlapped to the stations I, II, IV, VIII, IX, XII and XIV with synchronism.
• Module - C: 4 voice choir is a four mixed voices choir for each station except the 5th.

The text is in latin from the Vulgata. Even the internal module D structure is modular: the soprano part can be performed without the choir. The choir parts in the stations no. 3, 7 and 9 are overlapped in the 12th.

• Module - D: strings orchestra – The percussion (included in the score) is optional and can be considered a submodule of module E.
• Module E: brass quartet (two trumpets, horn and trombone) is the last module composed up to now and it can be added to the stations IV, V, VI, X, XI, XIII, XIV.
• Module – F : video is a video by the photographer-producer Paolo Del Bianco, not synchronized to the music.

Zoo is a modular project made by independent modules created by worldwide composers over eight piano works by Stefano Vagnini. A typical characteristic of the project's performances is the lack of a stage and seating arrangements for the audience, who walk freely through the performance space (e.g. a garden, square, or shopping mall), while the musicians are stationed throughout the space and acoustically isolated such that their individual performances cannot all be heard at once. This means each audience member's experience of the performance is unique, depending on the path they take through the space and the precise moments they happen to be in proximity to each individual musician. The Zoo world modular project currently comprises the following composers: Martin Vitous (Czech Rep.), George Christophy (Cypro), Anthony Green (U.S.A), Johannes Holik (Austria), Erik Schwartz (U.S.A), Heinz Chur (Germany), Phillip Wilcher (Australia), Ichinose Kyo (Japan), Julian Yu (China), John Sharply (Singapore), Slava Vinokur (Israel), Paul Gordon Manners (England), Giorgia Ragni (Italy). The Zoo project has been performed since 2000:

• June 2002, Festival Villa e Castella, art director Nino Finauri[17]
• May 2009, Sunny Isles Beach Miami (Florida, U.S.A),[18] in collaboration with Sunny Isles Beach government, Miami Art Charter School and the Arts ballet Theater of Florida.

The FaceBach project, organized by Strathclyde University Choir Director Alan Tavener,[19] was performed on 15 June 2012, at the Barony Hall Glasgow as closing workshop on Modular Music featuring the Strathclyde Barony Hall organ students and AiDADUO (Stefano Vagnini and Giorgia Ragni). Some J. S. Bach organ music selection has been combined with contemporary music by Karlheinz Stockhausen, Tan Dun, Cathy Berberian, John Cage, Stefano Vagnini and Omega Zero.

Sono Ergo Sum[20] is the first modular music festival. The first edition took place in Fano (Italy) on 17, 18 and 19 July 2014, at the San Domenico pinacoteque.[21]

In 2018, Following the "Sono Ergo Sum" experience and concept Stefano Vagnini wrote the book -Ergo Sum, deep music experience-, a new program/therapy which combines music with mathematics in order to re-organize and rehabilitate emotional disorders and slow down degenerative diseases (Dementia and Alzheimer).[22]