Lacuna (music)
Encyclopedia
In music
, a lacuna is an intentional, extended passage in a musical work
during which no notes are played. A lacuna acts as "negative music" to induce a state of serenity (or tension
) in the listener through its contrast to "normal" music consisting of sounded notes. Though no notes are sounded during a lacuna, it is a purposeful musical passage used for a specific effect in the context of the overall work. Lacunae may last be of any duration, as indicated by the composer
.
Contrast this to a musical rest
, which is of much shorter duration and a normal part of musical performance that serves to create rhythm
and movement between notes. In general, rests do not call attention to themselves in the perception of the listener, whereas lacunae actively force the listener to experience silence as part of the overall performance.
In classical music
, John Cage
's famous piece 4'33" consists of 3 long silences, and may be considered a piece made entirely of lacunae.
In popular music
, hidden track
s are often preceded by a lacuna. Radiohead
's "Motion Picture Soundtrack", the last track on the album Kid A
has an extended period of silence (the silence is more than three and a half minutes long) to augment the theme of the album, but is not precursor to a hidden track.
Also, in popular music
, "Endless, Nameless" by Nirvana
is preceded by a lacuna.
Some traditional Japanese music incorporates lacunae, the auditory equivalent of negative space
, a visual aesthetic element particularly appreciated in Japanese culture.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, a lacuna is an intentional, extended passage in a musical work
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
during which no notes are played. A lacuna acts as "negative music" to induce a state of serenity (or tension
Consonance and dissonance
In music, a consonance is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance , which is considered to be unstable...
) in the listener through its contrast to "normal" music consisting of sounded notes. Though no notes are sounded during a lacuna, it is a purposeful musical passage used for a specific effect in the context of the overall work. Lacunae may last be of any duration, as indicated by the composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Contrast this to a musical rest
Rest
Rest may refer to:* Leisure* Human relaxation* SleepRest may also refer to:* Rest , a pause in a piece of music* Rest , the relation between two observers* Rest , a 2008 album by Gregor Samsa...
, which is of much shorter duration and a normal part of musical performance that serves to create rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
and movement between notes. In general, rests do not call attention to themselves in the perception of the listener, whereas lacunae actively force the listener to experience silence as part of the overall performance.
In classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
's famous piece 4'33" consists of 3 long silences, and may be considered a piece made entirely of lacunae.
In popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
s are often preceded by a lacuna. Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's "Motion Picture Soundtrack", the last track on the album Kid A
Kid A
Kid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in October 2000 by the Parlophone label. A commercial success worldwide, Kid A went platinum in its first week of release in the United Kingdom. Despite the lack of an official single or music video as publicity, Kid A...
has an extended period of silence (the silence is more than three and a half minutes long) to augment the theme of the album, but is not precursor to a hidden track.
Also, in popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, "Endless, Nameless" by Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
is preceded by a lacuna.
Some traditional Japanese music incorporates lacunae, the auditory equivalent of negative space
Negative space
Negative space, in art, is the space around and between the subject of an image. Negative space may be most evident when the space around a subject, and not the subject itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape, and such space is occasionally used to artistic effect as the "real"...
, a visual aesthetic element particularly appreciated in Japanese culture.