Misterioso, Excerpt from
On a winter's night a traveller [The Deeply Learned Clavier] for solo piano
Ariel Mo, Piano
Brown Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston MA
April 2024

Program notes:
As evident from my website, I have recently replaced numerous pictures on the homepage with artificially synthesized images using a Deep Learning application. Nearly half of the images featured here have been generated by the “discord.” The rapid evolution of AI and Deep Learning algorithms is truly remarkable, and artists in the 21st century might find themselves in competition with AI-driven creations. Rather than compete with the technology, I find pleasure in embracing machines as collaborative creative partners.

In 2022, I embarked on a new phase of my research on Computer Music, in the field of Artificial Intelligence. To delve into this field, I studied MIT OCW’s Deep Learning course—a decision mirroring my choice back in 2010 when I studied differential equations, a significant contribution to my DMA research on virtual bells. For this, I began studying Python programming languages and exploring codes on the Google Colab platform. For over two months, I played with neural network codes, allowing the computer to learn circa 110 piano compositions written by Mozart. Following each learning process, which lasted between one and six hours (approximately 20 to 200 epochs—deep learning sequences), the computer generated fresh piano compositions within its comprehension of Mozart's musical context. Essentially, the computer composed pastiche pieces reminiscent of Mozart's style or aimed to counterfeit Mozart's works at its best.

Due to the limitations of my access to the Google Colab platform and the constraints of session timeouts, I was constrained to a maximum of six hours for each deep-learning process, despite the fact that these processes typically demand significantly longer durations, often ranging from several days to weeks and months. Additionally, the available volume of model data-works proved insufficient for generating authentic Mozart-esque piano work, e.g., having Alberti basslines or crisp and concise phrase models which we can easily find in his oeuvre. Nonetheless, the outputs/works compiled by the computer implied various intriguing features that we can often find in the tonal music repertoire, including the presence of ambiguous tonalities that bridged different keys and modal mixture, diatonic scales and modes, repetitions, various patterns of chords and arpeggios, oftentimes realized in awkward, crude and rudimentary, or even anti-contrapuntal, artificial(of course) and mechanistic ways, in distorted and grotesque shapes.

For about a month I listened to these outputs, and began tracing the trajectories of the computer’s unfulfilled thoughts. I was almost an archeologist who discovered a pile of unfinished, improvisatory, spurious sketches written by an unknown composer. During the discovery process, I tried to reveal the computer’s intentions, develop his/her/their imagination, and transform and elevate it into my own artwork.

It is commissioned by and dedicated with admiration and gratitude to Ariel Mo, who beautifully world-premiered my Le Tombeau de Harvey in January 2022.

Excerpt from On a winter's night a traveller for solo piano: Misterioso

I try to write music that is oriented around acoustical phenomena and virtuosic classical performance practice. Please visit my website for more details.

Excerpt from On a winter's night a traveller for solo piano: Misterioso

DONGRYUL LEE, Composer