Dissecting “Professor Bad

Trip: Lesson 1” by Fausto

Romitelli
José G. Martínez R.
UT Austin - Spring 2019
Fausto Romitelli
Born 1961 Gorizia, Italy
Studies in Siena with Donatoni
Goes to Paris in 1991. Linked to
Ensemble L’Iteneraire and Grisey,
Murail, Levinas, and Dufourt.
Research Composer in residence
at IRCAM 1993 - 1995
Died in 2004 Milan, Italy. 43 years
old.
Well-known for his interest in
bridging the gap between “fine art”
and popular music.
Musical output
Ganimede for viola solo - 1986
Ku for 14 musicians - 1989
Sabbia del Tiempo for six performers - 1991
Natura Morta con Fiamme for string quartet,
and electronics - 1991
Acid Dreams and Spanish Queens for
amplified ensemble - 1993
EnTrance for soprano, ensemble, and Ever since I was born, I have been
electronics - 1995 immersed in digitalized images,
synthetic sounds, artifacts.
Cuppio Dissolvi for fourteen performers - Artificial, distorted, filtered – this is
1996 the nature of man today’
Professor Bad Trip I - II - III for ensemble -
1998-2000 Fausto Romitelli
An Index of Metals for solo voice, ensemble,
and electronics - 2003
Extramusical references -
Francis Bacon
“…This trilogy is openly inspired in
the Triptychs by Francis Bacon.
Particularly, in his series of Three
Studies for a Self-Portrait from the
seventies. In this work, there is no
narrative function, but instead, a clear
symmetric structure that is altered
and perturbed, yet recognizable.
Each successive journey generates a
series of reactions, interferences, and
jitters in relation to the previous ones.
The same material is treated three
times in a ritualistic, enigmatic, and
violent manner…”

From Romitelli’s program notes for

the Strasbourg Music Festival, 2000.
Extramusical references -
Henri Michaux
“…This inquiry of the perceptive systems through the
hallucinogenic states have become my means to
penetrate into a universe that cannot succumb to the
claustrophobic formalism of contemporary music. It
allows me to escape from the Utopia of the educated and
polished sound. That sound that is coated with full
intentionality, but has no body, no flesh, no blood. In the
mescaline territory, education and good taste are
absent…”

From Romitelli’s program notes for the Strasbourg Music

Festival, 2000.
Extramusical references - Professor
Bad Trip - Gianluca Lerici (cartoonist)
PBT - Instrumentation
Lesson I Lesson II Lesson III
1998 - 14’ 1999 - 17’ 2000 - 11’
Fl + Bass Flute Fl + Harmonica Fl + Bass Flute + Gtr. pitch pipe

B-flat Clarinet + Bass Cl. B-flat Clarinet + Harmonica B-flat Clarinet + Harmonica+ Bass
Cl.
C Trumpet + harmonica C Trumpet + harmonica

E. Guitar E. Guitar E. Guitar

E. Bass E. Bass
Piano + Elec. Keyboard + Kazoo Piano + Elec. Keyboard + Kazoo Piano + Elec. Keyboard + Kazoo

Percussion: Vibraphone, Percussion: Bell, guitar pitch pipe,

Percussion: Harmonica, tuned gongs,
glockenspiel, marimba, 3 gongs, 3 marimba, spalsh, ride, crash,
glockenspiel, vibraphone, sup, cymbal,
susp. cymbals, tam-tam, gran casa, vibraphone, kazoo, glockenspiel,
tam-tam
guitar pitch pipe crotales, harmonica, kick drum,

Vln, Viola, Cello Vln, Viola, Cello Vln, Viola, Cello

Electronics*
* CD-rom provided, which consists of 8 tracks and a click track for the conductor to use. Directions for set up of
the electronic components will also be included,  detailing use of the click track, Lexicon, mixer, speakers and
microphones placement, and directions on sound effects to utilize for Keyboard and Electric Guitar distortion.
Musical elements
This piece is about: This piece is “not” about:
• Developmentof musical gestures through • Structurebased on evolution of chord
expansion and compression. progressions.
• Objetssonores of great complexity • From Rock music:
created through single instrumental lines.
A. Steady pulse / rhythm oriented
• Fusion
of harmony and timbre to create music
musical structures
B. None or few reference to tonality or
• Acoustic simulation of electronic sounds. modality.
Close interaction between electronics
• Fromspectralism: not based on the
and instrumental sounds.
spectral analysis of a sound.
• From rock music: interaction between
effects and instrumental gesture.
Reference to psychedelia and
timelessness.
• From spectralism: Sounds are recognized
and treated because of its spectral
component. Sound beyond pitch.
Musical elements
Philipe Manoury - about orchestration in modern music (2017)
Instrumental techniques
Flute and Bass Fl.
Harmonics (simple and polyphonic),
tongue ram, flutter tongue (w/wo note)
embouchure gliss., quarter tones, singing
in instrument, harmonics tremolo, air only.
Clarinet and Bass Cl.
Harmonica, slap tongue quarter tone,
flutter tongue, embouchure gliss, growling,
extreme high register, air only.
E. Guitar
Bending, harmonics, glissando (plectrum),
bottle-neck slide, muting, tremolo, volume
pedal, scordatura (6th string). Multiple
effects: distortion, chorus, flanger,
reverberation, etc.
Piano
Kazoo, extreme high register. Synthesizer with
prepared sounds: pitch bend, 1/4 tone
tuning, expression pedal.
Percussion
Guitar pitch pipe, singing, glock. mallet on
vibraphone, bowed gong, bowed vibraphone,
gong gliss. in water, bass drum w/super ball.
Strings
Gliss. (short and long - single and multiple
stops - slow and fast), pizz, regular and
metallic mute, sul ponticello, s.p. tremolo,
transition from s.p. to ord, sul tasto, double
natural and artificial harmonics, natural and
artificial harmonics gliss (seagull effect),
ponticello harmonics, jeté, overpressure,
quarter tones, transition from bow to legno.
 General Structure of PBT -
Lesson 1
Section Intro A B Trans C Trans D1 Insert D2 Trans E Coda Coda Coda
ion 1 2 3-
Elect.

Bar # 1-6 7 - 32 33 - 62 - 66 - 101 - 107 - 126 - 131 - 188 - 194 - 213 - 221 - 1:30
61 65 100 106 125 130 187 193 212 220 234

Length 6 26 29 4 35 6 18 5 56 6 19 8 14 ~23
(bars)

Larger 6 55 4 35 6 79 6 19 45
sections
 Introduction
Harmonic reduction of the section
• Single note (gesture) richly orchestrated
• Insistence (obsession) over the
individual note.
• Exploration of expressivity of the single
note via the orchestration.
 A1

Section A -
Main gesture
• Three parts 1. Trigger 2. Expansion 3.
Resonance
• Made up of smaller gestures (sound
objects) that are related according to
their direction and function

Harmonic reduction of the gesture

 Section A
• 8 varied repetitions of the main gesture
• Variations are mostly in the color (timbre) and length of the gesture
• Careful development of independent instrumental phrases that shape
the general result
• Harmonically static and repetitive

Section A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9
Length 16 16 15 16 9 9 9 8 10
(quarter
notes)
Tempo 64 68

Length 15000 15000 14062 15000 7941 7941 7941 7058 8823
(ms)
 Flute phrase development on section A

A1
15000 ms
New

A6
Varied
7941 ms

A2
15000 ms

Varied

A7
New 7941 ms
A3 Empty
14062 ms Gliss, new

Shortened

Varied
A8
A4 7058 ms
15000 ms
back Expanded No gliss
New

Closure?

A5 A9
7941 ms 8823 ms

Shortened, different pitch Varied

 Section B - Elaboration

Main Gesture
Main chord
progression

• Overlapping of multiple
elaborations of the chord
progression
• 4 layers of music:
1. Chord progression
2. WW elaboration
3. Strings elaboration
4. Bass line Elaboration

Harmonic reduction of the gesture

Prominent bass line

 Section B
• 19 varied repetitions of the main gesture
• Dramatic reduction of length of materials, proportion of 10 to 1.
• Reduction to the fundamental elements of the gesture
• Divided into two sections (piano changes to synth)

Section B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 B10 B11 B12 B13 B14 B15 B16 B17 B18 B19

Length 10 9 7 4 5 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
(quarter
note)

Tempo 72

Length 8333 7500 5833 3333 4167 3333 1667 1667 1667 1667 1667 1667 1667 833 833 833 833 833 833
(ms)

• Linked to resampling and time stretching techniques found in electronic music

Section B

3 simultaneous versions of the elaboration of the chord

progression
Section B
• Reduction of the phrase to
the basic element

• Reduction that actually

transforms into a new
gesture

• Infinite process, similar to

feedback loop

• Similar ideas in Manoury

and Philippe Hurel
 2 à Eve Payeur et Jean Geoffroy

LOOPS II

Loops II -
pour vibraphone
q 60 Philippe HUREL
>œ œ. œ. b œ U 4
3 bœ œ bœ
& 38ˆ32 4 2
6 6 court
œ
b œ. œ . 8 œ bœ œ r ≈ ®
8 r 8
œ bœ œ . bœ œ # œ œ
f # œ . œ œ
> > > . .
Philippe Hurel f p
1 Ped.
2 Ped.

> > >œ U œœ ..

long

# œ # œ
>œ œ b œ œ œ b œ œ œ œœ > >
œ > œ œ œ >œ œ œ
4 b œ œ 3 3 3 b œ
6 6

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ
5

& 8 œ bœ bœ œ ® b œ œ œb œ 8 8ˆ32 œ b œ
f bœ œ p bœ œ
ƒ
1 Ped. Ped. 1
2 2 Ped.

b œ >œ œ œ bœ 6 >œ œ œ >œ œ œ >œ œ œ

Similar process of growth and 2 ≈ bœ 2ˆ 1 ˆ 1 ≈ b œ 3 ≈ bœ 4
6

• œ œ œ œ
9 6

≈ b œ
6

& œ œ 4 œ œ 8 16 8 œ R 8 œ 8
bœ œ #œ bœ œ #œ bœ #œ bœ
contraction of a singular
3 3 3

gesture
détachez

œœœ >œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ3 2 œœ

3 6 6
3

4 > > 3
& 8 bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ > bœ 8 œ > bœ
13
>
3

bœ œ bœ œ bœ b>œ
3

8
3

> #œ bœ bœ 3 #œ bœ > #œ œ #œ œ #>œ

#œ
3

f
3
3

• Hurel was also at IRCAM and (1 2 Ped. ) °

q 50
is equally influenced by
peu à peu rall.

œœ r œœ r œœ r œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ
≈ œ ≈ b œ.
& œ ≈ bœ ≈ ≈ bœ ≈ ≈ bœ ≈ ‰ ≈ ‰ ≈ ‰ ≈ ‰ ≈ ‰ ≈ ‰
18

spectralism # >œ # >œ # >œ # >œ # >œ # >œ #œ #œ #œ #œ R

p π
abandonner progressivement les accents

. .
• Use of OpenMusic to create 28
œœ≈ b œ. ® œœ. b œ. ≈ œ. œ . œ. 3 b . œ. œ . œ.b œ. 2 3
œ
œ
bœ œ œ b œ n œ œb œ ® 2ˆ 1
& œ b œ ® ®
8 œ œ b œ ≈ ˆ
8 32 œ œ œ 8 16
#œ R œ# œ œ œ.# œ œ. . # œ . # œ
the calculated variations .
cresc.
. 1 2 Ped.
6

# œ œ b œ œœ 6

# œ œ n œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ# œ
6

# œ
œ œ
. œ. . n œ b œ œ œ œ bœ# œ
2 1 b œ n œ œ 2 b œ œ 3 œ 4 b œ œ œ œ 38
33

& 8ˆ16 œ œ bœ 8 œœ œ œ bœ 16 3 8 œœ œ œ bœ
• Complex to the eye, natural œ# œ #œ #œ
f
6

°
6 6
6 6

and organic to the ear.

(cresc.)
1 Ped.
2 ° °
> >œ >œ
œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ
3x
b œ > bœ#œ
bœ #>œ n œb œ #œ œ . #œ b œ #œ œ œ b œ
6 6 6

& 38 .. œ œ œ œ b œ œ . œ œ œ bœ b œ œ n œ bœ
œ bœ œ œ
37

> œ
> #œ #>œ > #>œ
° ° °
6 6 3

° ° ° ° ° °
6 6 6

© Copyright 2002 by Editions Henry Lemoine Tous droits réservés

41, rue Bayen - 75017 Paris 27779 H.L. pour tous pays.

11/2004
 C1 C2

Section C -
Main Gesture
• Elaboration of harmonic
progression
• Parts linked through register
and direction
• More interactive with
electronics

Harmonic reduction of the gesture

 Section C
• 17 varied repetitions of the main gesture.
• Dramatic reduction of length of materials, proportion of 10 to 1.
• Reduction to the fundamental elements of the gesture.
• Change of tempo helps exaggerate the compression of the loop.
• Gesture shrinks, yet the piano part is expanded.

Section C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17

Length 9 9 8 6 6 6 4 4 3 4 3 2 3 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
(quarter
note)
Tempo 62 68 72

Length 8710 8710 7742 5294 5294 5294 3529 3529 2647 3529 2647 1667 2500 1250 1250 1250 1250
(ms)
 C13

Section C

• Independent lines break the C14

C15 C16 C17
cycle of the phrase

• One of few places in which

the there are multiple loops
with different lengths
Section C
Loop

• Again, reduction of the

phrase to its core elements

• Saturation of the spectrum Liberation

as result of the hyper-

compression of the music
elements

• Ends with a sole element, a

liberation of the loop.
 Section D - D1
1
D2

Main Gesture
• Juxtaposition of 5 distinctive musical
phrases.

• Phrases can be grouped in two 2

according to their harmonic

composition:
1. Group 1: 1, 2, 4, 5 3
2. Group 2: 3

• Piano presents a more free a complex

elaboration of the basic harmonic
Sign
material of the phrase
4

• Use of a “sign” to show the end of the

phrase. This sign also evolves with 5
each repetition .

Harmonic reduction of the gesture

 Section D
• 13 varied repetitions of the main gesture.
• Growth and contraction of the phrase.
• Insertion of “strenuous” material as the longest variation is approached.
• Divided into two sections (piano changes to synth)

Section D1 D2 D3 D4 Ins. D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13

Length 5 10 13 8 5 9 17 16 15 12 11 9 6 6 4
(quarter
note)
Tempo 64 68 72 60 64 68-72 72 66 69 72

Length 4688 9375 11471 6667 5000 8438 15938 13714 12500 10909 10000 7826 5000 5000 3333
(ms)

15104
Section D ending and
Transition

• Prominent bass line that

resembles Section B
• Piano is clearly the center of the
section
 Section E
• Absence of chord
progression repetition.

• Built upon the idea of

a long descend
• on the keyboard part.

• Electronics are
prominent, threading
the direction of the
section.

• Anticipation of idea of
the coda.
Main chords of the section
Coda - Part 1
• Three instances of the main chord
progression.

• Each instance is accompanied by a

complementary harmonization by keyboard
and strings

• These complements can be seen as

“distortions” of the harmonic structure that at
times use notes of the main chords

Guitar harmonic pattern

Section Coda 1.1 Coda 1.2 Coda 1.3 Coda 1.4

Length 2 2 2 2
(quarter note)
Tempo 72
Length (ms) 1667 1667 1667 1667
 • Gliss. 1
Coda - Part 2 • Massive group slide

Gliss. 2 - Chords
• 7 written chords each one 10 quarter notes long
• Tempo changes 60 -> 52 -> 44
Coda - Part 3

• Electronics solo

• Slow glissandi with a band pass filter or a

flanger

• Extension of the instrumental gesture that

came before
• Psychedelic moment of the peace

• Moment of true timelessness