Algorithmic Music Composition With Linux – athenaCL

“In this conclusion to my survey of algorithmic music
composition systems for Linux I present Christopher Ariza’s
athenaCL. According to its Web site athenaCL is

“… an open-source, object-oriented composition tool written in
Python. The system can be scripted and embedded, and includes
integrated instrument libraries, post-tonal and microtonal pitch
modeling tools, multiple-format graphical outputs, and musical
output in Csound, SuperCollider, Pure Data, MIDI, audio file, XML,
and text formats … Over eighty specialized Generator, Rhythm, and
Filter ParameterObjects provide tools for stochastic, chaotic,
cellular automata based, Markov based, generative grammar and
Lindenmayer system (L-system), wave-form, fractional noise (1/f),
genetic, Xenakis sieve, linear and exponential break-point
segments, masks, and various other algorithmic models.
ParameterObjects can be embedded in other ParameterObjects to
provide powerful dynamic and masked value generation.

“My experience with athenaCL has been a little different from my
explorations of CM/Grace and CsoundAC. The system is organized in a
unique manner that I found confusing at first. However, my initial
confusion quickly gave way to amazement, and I must confess that
I’ve become a devoted user.”

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