“Vortex Temporum” in Context of Spectral Music

Abstract

In this study, the French composer Gerard Grisey’s work Vortex Temporum, written for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano, which is one of the most important examples of spectral music, was examined.

In the first part, Grisey’s life is mentioned and the impact of his innovative musical approach on the composer’s work is observed. The style of the composer assessed in the context of spectral music has been taken into consideration and in this context spectral music has been described. Vortex Temporum, which is the main subject of the article and one of the most prominent works of the composer, is described in the framework of the references that the composer wrote about the work.  The work, which lasts about forty minutes and which is curious to the audience with its different and impressive atmosphere in each section, has been evaluated and analyzed in structural terms.