Musical Apps

Musical apps are becoming quite imaginative, the latest pair showing what can be done to expand the musical experience both for those who are musically literate and those who do not read music. 

An app devoted to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony has been created by Deutsche Grammophon and Touch Press, the app features four very different performances of Beethoven's symphony from Leonard Bernstein (Vienna Philharmonic 1979), John Eliot Gardiner (Orchestra Revolutionnaire et Romantique, 1992), Ferenc Fricsay (Berlin Philharmonic, 1958) and Herbert von Karajan (Berlin Philharmonic, 1962). Users can switch between recordings, follow a synchronised version of the score (a full digital orchestral score, a version of the score showing a changing selection of up to six instruments, the 1825 copyists manuscript from the British Library and a simplified graphical score for those who can't read music). There is also a text from David Owen Norris, synchronised commentary, analysis and interviews. The app is available from the APP Store on iPad, iPhone or iPod touch or at www.AppStore.com. Further information from the Touch Press website.

Rather different in style, but equally innovative, the London band The Nyco Project are releasing their new EP as an interactive app. Each track features a number of videos showing the individual instrument parts, in the location that they were recorded (from Mallorca to Norfolk) and the user can arrange the track, discover information about the individual parts and where they were recorded. The app, The New Machine is released on 24 June and available on Android and iPhone. Further information from The Nyco Project website.