This book is historically important for the electroacoustic music scene in Italy. It is at the same time a book and the catalogue of the homonym exhibition organized in 1986 by the Venice Biennale (the expo aimed to show and reconstruct various electroacoustic experiences since 1900 in the world).
One part of the book contains a selection of essays (some already published that have been translated into Italian), thought by the editor to be fundamental as reference points on the historical, technological and sociological electroacoustic music scene.
The second part shows various profiles of centres and electroacoustic instruments, a bibliography and a discography.
Table of contents:
- Preface (Carlo Fontana), p. 11
- History and evolution of electronic instruments (Hugh Davies), p. 17
- Live electronics (Nicola Bernardini), p. 61
- Other electronics (Roberto Valentino), p. 79
- Arts and science: numeric electroacoustic music (Jean-Claude Risset), p. 103
- Researches on music and the artificial intelligence (Curtis Roads), p. 121
- New Atlantis (Roberto Doati – Alvise Vidolin), p. 149
- Historical premises and early electronic music intruments, p. 155
- Physics and psychophysics, p. 161
- Electronic music, p. 167
- Automation and synthesizers, p. 181
- Other electronics (by Roberto Valentino), p. 191
- Live electronics, p. 197
- Computer music, p. 201
- Auditorium, p. 211
- Chronology, p. 217
- Bibliographical references, p. 221
- Discography, p. 223