Rethinking shapes (III) : The emergence of shapes

Figures, motifs, themes, cells: how do these shapes structure the way we listen to music? It's thanks to the conservation of structures over time that we can identify and relate everything that makes up the incessant flow of information that reaches our brain. Symmetries, morphings, emergences, interlockings, breaks, variations - the list of formal categories we use to identify and recognize patterns in music is immense.

Musical excerpts

Ludwig van Beethoven: Diabelli Variations. Grigory Sokolov, piano

Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Sviatoslav Richter, piano

Claude Debussy: La mer Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink, conductor

Anton Webern: Variations Op. 27, Maurizio Pollini, piano.

Philippe Manoury: Passacaglia for Tokyo Ensemble Intercontemporain. Hideki Nagano, piano. Conducted by Pierre Boulez