I use micro-intervals in my music as one aspect of composing with sound as a whole. Typically, I compose on a micro-level of form by creating a counterpoint between micro-intervalic pitch movement, micro-intensity variation, micro-timbral change, and micro-spatial transformation.

Microintervals are very helpful both for micro-melodic sequencing as well as micro-ornamental variation. For example, I will frequently specify a micro-intervallic ornament as to its overall pitch pattern, the micro-intervallic width of the pattern, and its speed.

More recently, I have begun to relate micro-intervallic movement to structures of micro-durations; thus, micro-intervallic pitch movement is related to micro-rhythmnic sequence. Thus, micro-intervals and micro-durational/micro-rhythmnic structures are stretched and transformed in tandem over the course of a work.

BIOGRAPHY
Gerard Pape was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1955. He graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University in 1976, while simultaneously beginning private composition lessons with David Winkler. He obtained a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1982 from the University of Michigan, and continued private composition lessons with U-M music composition faculty members George Cacioppo and William Albright. Pape studied electronic music with George Wilson in the analog and digital studios of the University of Michigan.

Pape has composed more than 50 works for orchestra, chamber music, and electronic works for instruments, voice and/or tape. His music has been performed in numerous festivals in the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, Greece, Roumania, Sweden, Australia, Mexico, Hong Kong and Japan and was presented in the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) in Tokyo in 1993 and in Hong Kong in 1996. He has been granted ASCAP standard awards each year from 1992 through 2002.

Among his most important compositions is the work Feu Toujours Vivant for large orchestra and 4 sampler keyboards, commissioned by the electronic ensemble Art Zoyd and the National Orchestra of Lille, conducted by Jean-Claude Casadesus. After its world premiere in Lille, March 9, 1997, the work was replayed twice more, including in Paris.

Pape has written numerous psychoanalytic articles. A book of his literary works, including short stories, plays and poetry, was published in the USA in 1984. More recently, he has published articles on musical complexity, and on the music of Luigi Nono (published in Contemporary Music Review). He has written and lectured extensively on the subject of "Composing in the Continuum" and is currently editing a book on this subject called "Le Continuum" due out fall 2002 in Paris. He has recently published an article "Iannis Xenakis and the Real of Musical Composition" in the Computer Music Journal.

His discography consists of a monographic disc released in 1992 by Mode, including works played by the Arditti Quartet, the Prism Orchestra of New York, and William Albright. In September 1998, Mode released a second disc of Pape's work, performed by Arditti Quartet, Ensemble 2E2M, Ensemble Voxnova, saxophonist Daniel Kientzy, singer Nicholas Isherwood, Janet Pape, and flutist Cécile Daroux. Mode recently released a double cd anthology called "CCMIX Paris: Xenakis/UPIC/Continuum" that contains Pape's "Le Fleuve du Desir III" for string quartet and tape, as played by the Arditti Quartet.

Pape is working on an operatic project based on Antonin Artaud's play The Cenci and which involves a collaboration with the actor-director Michel de Maulne and his theater, Maison de la Poésie, located in Paris.
Among his most recent work "The Ecstasy of St. Theresa" for 9 singers and live electronics commissioned by the Donaueschingen Festival was premiered in October 2002 as well as "Le Fleuve du Desir IV" for violin and tape and "La Naissance du Son" for cello, both commissioned by the Texas Eye and Ear festival and premiered in September 2002.

Pape has directed Les Ateliers UPIC, recently renamed CCMIX (Center for the Composition of Music Iannis Xenakis) since 1991. This organisation is a computer music center located in Paris.