The Notation of Dynamic Levels in the Performance of Electronic Music

The "sound diffusion" (or "sound projection"), that is, "the projection and the spreading of sound in an acoustic space for a group of listeners"[1], of works for solo electronics or for acoustic instruments and electronics (so called, "mixed pieces"), has always raised the issue of notating the levels to be reproduced during a concert or the correct balance between the electronics and the instruments. If, in the last decades, some attempts were made by few composers or computer-music designers, mostly in the form of scores, none of these managed to establish a common practice. In addition, little theoretical work has been done so far to address the performative aspects of a piece, that is, to provide just the useful information to the person in charge of the sound diffusion. Through the discussion of three historical examples and the analysis of two experiences we developed, we will try to identify some possibly general solutions that could be adopted independently on the aesthetic or tech-nological choices of a given piece.