Optimuse

Computers and music go hand in hand these days. Music is stored digitally and often played by electronic instruments. Computer aided composing is a relatively new research area that takes the current relationship between music and computers one step further, by letting the computer generate an original score, or at least help a human composer in doing so. In a first version, Optimuse uses a variable neigborhood search algorithm to generate cantus firmi and 1st species counterpoint music. Version 2 can compose fifth species counterpoint. With this software, any user can specify a number of characteristics, such as length, key, mode, etc or even a full melody line, and Optimuse will automatically compose a first or fifth species counterpoint voice. If no melody line is given, Optimuse will compose the cantus firmus as well. Optimuse uses a variable neighborhood search algorithm to search for music that adheres to the classical Fuxian counterpoint rules as well as possible. In a third version, an option to generate counterpoint music with composer-specific characteristics was added. The selected composers are Haydn, Beethoven and Bach. An Android application of this software is available here. The application was implemented in C++ and a plugin for MuseScore was developed.

A few short demo 1st species pieces generated by Optimuse:

	piece in F Major
	piece in C major
	piece in G major
	piece in F minor

An example of a generated 5th species fragment:

piece in F Major

More information:

• D. Herremans and K. Sörensen, "Composing fifth species counterpoint music with a variable neighborhood search algorithm," Expert systems with applications, vol. 40, iss. 16, pp. 6427-6437, 2013.
  [Bibtex]

  @article{herremans2013composing,
  title = {Composing fifth species counterpoint music with a variable neighborhood search algorithm},
  author = {Herremans, Dorien and Sörensen, Kenneth},
  journal = {Expert systems with applications},
  volume = {40},
  number = {16},
  pages = {6427--6437},
  year = {2013},
  doi = {10.1016/j.eswa.2013.05.071},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  keywords = {music and OR},
  }

• D. Herremans and K. Sörensen, "Composing first species counterpoint with a variable neighbourhood search algorithm," Journal of mathematics and the arts, vol. 6, iss. 4, pp. 169-189, 2012.
  [Bibtex]

  @article{herremans2012composing,
  title = {Composing first species counterpoint with a variable neighbourhood search algorithm},
  author = {Herremans, Dorien and Sörensen, Kenneth},
  journal = {Journal of Mathematics and the Arts},
  volume = {6},
  number = {4},
  pages = {169--189},
  year = {2012},
  doi = {10.1080/17513472.2012.738554},
  publisher = {Taylor \& Francis},
  keywords = {music and OR},
  }

Optimuse is available for download at the links below.

	optimuse1.tar.gz
	optimuse2.tar.gz
	optimuse3.tar.gz