Novagen

This page contains an applet to demonstrate the representation of melodies through networks of elaborations as described in my paper 'Representing Melodic Patterns as Networks of Elaborations'.

The quality of sound output is not high, largely because of the limitations of Java 1.1 to which this software is restricted for maximum portability and minimising the need for installation of additional software. A version using MIDI for sound output is in preparation, but that will require the user to have Java 2 version 1.3 installed, and fully flexible MIDI output will require yet further additional software.

Why 'Novagen'?

• The system allows a novel way of automatically generating melodies (to be implemented in further software).
• It is the embodiment of a new theory which is 'generative' in the sense used by, for example, Lerdahl & Jackendoff in A Generative Theory of Tonal Music.
• The idea originated in work during sabbatical leave in 1997 in the Italian city called 'Genova' in the native language.