Abstract

In the early 70's a small group of people started the computer music activity in Chile. Among these groups of professionals and students, there is a remarkable figure: José Vicente Asuar, composer and engineer, pioneer of electroacoustic music in Latin America. Among his actions there are the first explorations in computer assisted composition by means of algorithmic procedures, the use of a computer to control analog synthesizers, and theoretical texts on these explorations. This paper intends to review briefly these achievements which include the composition of the first algorithmic piece in Chile, “Formas” for instrumental ensemble. Asuar made relevant technical work, music, and thinking which trace paths and links in the future generations. Asuar carried out diffusion of these activities through the release of two LP's. Important is the vanguardist interdisciplinary work that leads to these works of engineering and art, activity accomplished within the Universidad de Chile. Nevertheless, there is one more achievement by Asuar, maybe the most significant: the creation of an original computer for only one purpose, that is the creation and performing of music. This computer, the COMDASUAR (Asuar Digital-Analogic Computer) created in the late 70's, had several interesting features as being unique at its moment and combine digital and analogic technology in one piece of equipment. This paper shows the general structure of this machine, its synthesis engine, and its tools for assisted composition as well, highlighting the combination of a quartz digital oscillator and filtering analogic devices, capability for programming western tempered music, microtonal music or other types, serial techniques and aleatoric procedures named by the author as “heuristic”. Finally, it will be covered the rediscovery of Asuar work and his strong presence within the international ambit, research which leads to the release of his music and a documentary film about him and his COMDASUAR, all of which has repositioned the figure of Asuar in the Chilean and Latinamerican context, revealing him to the young generations.