Music Painting using Computer Graphics

Music Excerpts and Visual Elements of Music

Michael Haverkamp: Music Graphics of “Spem in Alium” by Thomas Tallis, 2006.

“Spem in Alium” by Thomas Tallis is composed as a 40-part (!) motet with sequences where polyphonic structure dissolves into pure harmony, leaving twinkling fragments of melody.

Michael Haverkamp: Music Graphics of “Lontano” by Györy Ligeti, 2006.

While remembering Ligetis composition “Lontano”, its complex, micro-polyphonic structures compress to a landscape-like image with various textures.

Michael Haverkamp: Music Graphics of a piano motif from the song “Die Stadt” by Franz Schubert, 2007

Piano motif from Franz Schubert’s song „Die Stadt“ [The town], lyrics by Heinrich Heine, included into the song cycle „Schwanengesang“ D.957 XI.

Michael Haverkamp: Music Graphics of the sound of a singing bowl [Klangschale] from Nepal, 2003.

Sound of a singing bowl.

Michael Haverkamp: Computer Graphics referring to sounds of single instruments – celesta, trumpet, …? - from Dmitri Shostakovich’s symphony no. 4 C minor, end of 4th movement., 2019/2023

“silent end” Music Graphics referring to sounds of single instruments – celesta, trumpet, …? – from Dmitri Shostakovich’s symphony no. 4 C minor, end of 4th movement.

Michael Haverkamp: Computer graphics of Shostakovich's symphony No. 10, 3rd movement. 2019

Music graphics of a sequence in Shostakovich’s symphony No. 10, 3rd movement.

Michael Haverkamp: Music Graphics referring to "Poème Symphonique for 100 Metronomes" by György Ligeti, 2006

Music Graphics simplifying “Poème Symphonique for 100 Metronomes” by György Ligeti

A comprehensive image of Perotin’s famous piece „viderunt omnes“ showing the architectural characteristics of this early polyphonic music, which also for this reason is rightly classified as “Notre-Dame-style”.

Color-Tone Relations

Michael Haverkamp: Computer graphic expressing the main colors of  the 6 "Brandenburgische Konzerte" by Johann-Sebastian Bach. These colors arise as result of my perception of the timbres of the solo instruments, 2001.

Perceived main colors of the timbres of solo instruments in Johann-Sebastian Bach’s 6 concerts “Brandenburgische Konzerte.”

Graphics based on Spectrograms

Michael Haverkamp: Music Graphics of "Farben" [colors] from 5 pieces for orchestra, op. 16, by Arnold Schönberg. Visualization based on mathematic-physical transformation performed by a sound-analysis software.

Arnold Schönberg’s piece “Farben” [colors] as 3rd movement of his op.16 has been characterized as “musical pointillism.” Physical sound analysis clearly shows the audible dotted structure.

Michael Haverekamp: Music Graphics of an orchestral glissando from the 1st Symphony by Krzysztof Penderecki.. The transformation by the sound analysis software includes time (horizontally from left to right hand side), pitch (vertically) and sound pressure (colour scale)., 2006

Orchestral glissando from the 1st Symphony by Krzysztof Penderecki. Continuously decreasing pitch evokes an illusion of infinite downward movement, based on the principle of the Shepard scale.

Michael Haverkamp: Computer graphics referring to the music of “Einzug der Götter in Walhalla” in the music drama "Das Rheingold" by Richard Wagner, arising as a result of the quick tonal sequence of the violinists. Vertical axis: frequency; horizontal axis: time; color scale: sound pressure level, 2007

A musical carpet or a landscape? An graphic depiction of the musical background of the scene “Einzug der Götter in Walhalla” in the finale of the music drama “Das Rheingold” by Richard Wagner.