Poème Électronique

Poème électronique is an 8-minute piece of electronic music by composer Edgard Varèse, written for the Philips Pavilion at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. The sequence of sounds in Varèse's composition: 0" 1. a. Low bell tolls. "Wood blocks." Sirens. Fast taps lead to high, piercing sounds. 2-second pause. 43" b. "Bongo" tones and higher grating noises. Sirens. Short "squawks." Three-tone group stated three times. 1'11" c. Low sustained tones with grating noises. Sirens. Short "squawks." Three-tone group. 2-second pause. 1'40" d. Short "squawks." High "chirps." Variety of "shots," "honks," "machine noises." Sirens. Taps lead to 2'36" 2. a. Low bell tolls. Sustained electronic tones. Repeated "bongo" tones. High and sustained electronic tones. Low tone, crescendo. Rhythmic noises lead to 3'41" b. Voice, "Oh-gah." 4-second pause. Voice continues softly. 4'17" c. Suddenly loud. Rhythmic percussive sounds joined by voice. Low "animal noises," scraping, shuffling, hollow vocal sounds. Decrescendo into 7-second pause. 5'47" d. Sustained electronic tones, crescendo and decrecendo. Rhythmic percussive sounds. Higher sustained electronic tones, crescendo. "Airplane rumble," "chimes," jangling. 6'47" e. "Female voice. Male chorus. Electronic noises, organ. High taps. Swooping organ sound. Three-note group stated twice. Rumble, sirens, crescendo (8 minutes and 5 seconds)."