The contemporary musical piece “The Evolution of AI” explores the relationship between human artistry and artificial intelligence. The four-movement work follows the journey of a human-AI hybrid being as it reboots, collects data, learns, and creates music. The first movement, “Reboot,” represents the awakening of the machine. In “Data Collection” engages in a dynamic dialogue with the orchestra, merging technology and human expression. “Machine Learning” has the hybrid absorbing and adapting Western compositions. Finally, “Creation” sees the machine compose in real-time, venturing into uncharted territory before it experiences an unexpected glitch, leaving its fate uncertain. The piece questions the boundaries of creativity and the implications of human-AI collaboration through the metaphor of the evolving machine.

Curiosities:

The Evolution of AI’s Movement iii “Machine Learning” contains many musical quotations, recognizable melodies and more hidden fragments. It opens with two compositions by unknown composers:

• The Seikilos Epitaph, one of the oldest surviving complete melodies, was composed in the 1st or 2nd century AD.
• The medieval chant Dies Irae (“Day of Wrath”), part of the Catholic Requiem Mass, emerged in the early 13th century.

It also features works by renowned composers like Pérotin, Beatriz de Dia, Josquin des Prez, Claudio Monteverdi, and Johann Pachelbel. Excerpts from major composers include Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and Maurice Ravel. The pieces with more recognizable melodic patterns and rhythms are more or less fully on display, as they are in the public domain.

Additionally, hidden within the dense textures are fragments of other compositions – some as brief as a measure, a chord, a cadence, or a fleeting melody. These act as musical Easter eggs for listeners to discover amidst noise and activity. The amalgamation of exposed and concealed quotations aims to create a rich tapestry honoring various eras of music.

PRESS: 
 

What if you apply AI to music? St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and composer collaborate to find out

By Sheila Regan | Columnist

AI comes to music, and through Clarice Assad, to the SPCO

Clarice Assad performs her work ‘The Evolution of AI’ with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

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Photos by Marcelo Macaue