2. Ferneyhough: Unsichtbare Farben

Mikhïal Malt analyzes the rhythmic materials of Ferneyhough’s Unsichtbare Farben in The OM Composer’s Book 2.

Malt explains that Ferneyhough used OpenMusic to create an “exhaustive catalogue of rhythmic cells” such that:

1. They are subdivided into two pulses, with proportions from 1/1 to 1/11.
2. The second pulse is subdivided successively by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Let’s recreate Malt’s results in Abjad.

2.1. The proportions

First we define proportions:

abjad> proportions = [(1, n) for n in range(1, 11 + 1)]

abjad> proportions
[(1, 1), (1, 2), (1, 3), (1, 4), (1, 5), (1, 6), (1, 7), (1, 8), (1, 9), (1, 10), (1, 11)]

2.2. The transforms

Then we make aliases to give shorter names to two functions with long names:

abjad> make_tuplet = tuplettools.make_diminished_tuplet_from_duration_and_proportions_and_encourage_dots
abjad> tie_chain_to_tuplet = tietools.tie_chain_to_diminished_tuplet_with_proportions_and_encourage_dots

And then define a helper function:

def divide_tuplet(tuplet, n):
    last_tie_chain = tietools.get_tie_chain(tuplet[-1])
    proportions = n * [1]
    new = tie_chain_to_tuplet(last_tie_chain, proportions)
    return new

2.3. The rhythms

We set the duration of each tuplet equal to a quarter note:

abjad> duration = Fraction(1, 4)

And then we make the rhythms:

for proportion in proportions:
    tuplets = []
    for n in range(1, 6 + 1):
        tuplet = make_tuplet(duration, proportion)
        divide_tuplet(tuplet, n)
        tuplets.append(tuplet)
    staff.extend(tuplets)

2.4. The score

Finally we make the score:

abjad> staff = stafftools.RhythmicStaff(music)
abjad> score = Score([staff])
abjad> lilypond_file = lilyfiletools.make_basic_lilypond_file(score)

Configure containers:

abjad> contexttools.TimeSignatureMark((1, 4))(staff)
abjad> score.override.bar_number.transparent = True
abjad> score.set.proportional_notation_duration = schemetools.SchemeMoment(1, 56)
abjad> score.set.tuplet_full_length = True
abjad> score.override.spacing_spanner.uniform_stretching = True
abjad> score.override.spacing_spanner.strict_note_spacing = True
abjad> score.override.tuplet_bracket.padding = 2
abjad> score.override.tuplet_bracket.staff_padding = 4
abjad> score.override.tuplet_number.text = schemetools.SchemeFunction('tuplet-number::calc-fraction-text')
abjad> score.override.time_signature.stencil = False
abjad> score.override.bar_line.stencil = False

Configure the LilyPond file:

abjad> lilypond_file.default_paper_size = '11x17', 'portrait'
abjad> lilypond_file.global_staff_size = 12
abjad> lilypond_file.layout_block.indent = 0
abjad> lilypond_file.layout_block.ragged_right = True
abjad> lilypond_file.paper_block.ragged_bottom = True
abjad> space = schemetools.SchemePair('space', 18)
abjad> stretchability = schemetools.SchemePair('stretchability', 0)
abjad> vector = schemetools.SchemeVector(space, stretchability)
abjad> lilypond_file.paper_block.between_system_spacing = vector

And show the result:

abjad> show(lilypond_file)