In-Between: The Microtonal Universe

[Cato]

It's interesting. So, it's not 17-ET (equal temperament) or 19-ET. Are there audio samples of your works?

I have a tape that a student made nearly 30 years ago of an Apple II computer playing a short piece: given the primitive synthesizer in the computer, the music sounds like it is played by a broken vacuum cleaner from Mars. 

Some day I hope to have it transferred to a digital file.

[7/4]

Lately I've been obsessed with Young's Well Tuned Piano and have even tried playing around with his tuning. It's extremely hard for me to make something of it. I think it's my favorite "xenharmonic" music. It's so mysterious. There's nothing much like it, I don't think. But it's really hard to get other people into it. It seems almost like asking them to join a cult or something. My girlfriend just looks at me like, "uh-huh." I was walking around a shopping mall listening to it recently (I know, a strange idea) and I felt like I was leaving my body.
I think the closest thing that comes to it is some kind of gamelan music maybe.

The WTP is all about the false octaves and microtones. It's beautiful.

[North Star]

Are the imperfectly flatted and bent notes, e.g. in Blues, considered examples of microtones?  You can immediately hear the difference in a melody when sung by a good Blues singer compared to when you play it (as accurately as possible) on the piano.  It goes from being starkly expressive to stiff and false.

Quarter tones are instrumental in Blues.

[The new erato]

There's a new 4 CD set on Neos of the complete Haba quartets. I posted on it in the New releases thread a while ago.

[Cato]

There's a new 4 CD set on Neos of the complete Haba quartets. I posted on it in the New releases thread a while ago.

Wow!  I missed that notice!  Here is the website:

http://haba-quartett.de/en/news-en

Many moons ago I heard the quartet in 5th-tones, and somehow came across the score.  It did not seem as successful as other experiments, but I wonder if my opinion would be different today.

[7/4]

Are the imperfectly flatted and bent notes, e.g. in Blues, considered examples of microtones?  You can immediately hear the difference in a melody when sung by a good Blues singer compared to when you play it (as accurately as possible) on the piano.  It goes from being starkly expressive to stiff and false.

Sure!

[torut]

Q2 Music Album of the Week: streaming audio

"This is actually the very first time that the music of Patterns of Plants has been recorded on the piano. On two previous recordings released on Tzadik in 1997 and 2008, Fujieda employs the koto, sho, viol de gamba, harpsichord and the violin. It is quite a fascinating approach to present these works in equal temperament. There is a great deal of beauty locked in the sonorities that transcends temperament. However, the listener will absorb the music in an entirely distinct way from other readings of Patterns of Plants."

This video includes an interesting performance of Fujieda's Patterns of Plants, arranged for Gamelan. Harrison's pieces (beautiful and very moving) have many affinities with traditional Gamelan music, but Fujieda's pieces sound very different. Heart Sutra, sung in Japanese, is memorable.

https://www.youtube.com/v/JUMC8UOCtZg
traditional & recent (1970s) Gamelan music
Lou Harrison: 3 pieces for Gamelan Degung (15:30~)
Mamoru Fujieda: Patterns of Plants - Olive (46:30~), Heart Sutra (60:00~)

11/17/2013
Paraguna Group
Senzoku Gakuen College of Music

[torut]

Lately I've been obsessed with Young's Well Tuned Piano and have even tried playing around with his tuning. It's extremely hard for me to make something of it. I think it's my favorite "xenharmonic" music. It's so mysterious. There's nothing much like it, I don't think. But it's really hard to get other people into it. It seems almost like asking them to join a cult or something. My girlfriend just looks at me like, "uh-huh." I was walking around a shopping mall listening to it recently (I know, a strange idea) and I felt like I was leaving my body.
I think the closest thing that comes to it is some kind of gamelan music maybe.

Dave Seidel used Young's tuning (not WTP) in his latest work.

Dave Seidel: Imaginary Harmony

https://mysterybear.bandcamp.com/album/imaginary-harmony

Imaginary Harmony takes as its raw material a 25-note-per-octave "scale" built by octave-reducing the set of harmonics used by La Monte Young in his 1990 sine wave installation "The Prime Time Twins in The Ranges 576 to 448; 288 to 224; 144 to 112; 72 to 56; 36 to 28; with The Range Limits 576, 448, 288, 224, 144, 56 and 28".

It feels rather sonic experiment ("harmonies based on multiplication, division, and the Pythagorean means [...] difference and summation tones"). Otherworldly.

[milk]

Dave Seidel used Young's tuning (not WTP) in his latest work.

Dave Seidel: Imaginary Harmony

https://mysterybear.bandcamp.com/album/imaginary-harmony

Imaginary Harmony takes as its raw material a 25-note-per-octave "scale" built by octave-reducing the set of harmonics used by La Monte Young in his 1990 sine wave installation "The Prime Time Twins in The Ranges 576 to 448; 288 to 224; 144 to 112; 72 to 56; 36 to 28; with The Range Limits 576, 448, 288, 224, 144, 56 and 28".

It feels rather sonic experiment ("harmonies based on multiplication, division, and the Pythagorean means [...] difference and summation tones"). Otherworldly.

Thanks for this. I want to check this out. I need some inspiration.

[torut]

I didn't know that Ezra Sims passed away early this year.

Ezra Sims (1928-2015) by Kyle Gann (PostClassic)

Listening to Quintet / Solo / Night Piece / Flight / Concert Piece. Fascinating sound texture.

[asin]B000005TVW[/asin]

[7/4]

I didn't know that Ezra Sims passed away early this year.

Ezra Sims (1928-2015) by Kyle Gann (PostClassic)

Listening to Quintet / Solo / Night Piece / Flight / Concert Piece. Fascinating sound texture.

[asin]B000005TVW[/asin]

Interesting music.

[torut]

I was excited to find these recent releases from Microfest Records. I just listened to The Wayward Trail and I'm glad to hear Doty's music and Polansky's Song and Toods (Eskimo Lullaby from the suite was included in Cold Blue compilation, which was a memorable piece). The works of Zimmermann and Menalled are beautiful.


The Wayward Trail (Microfest Records)

http://microfestrecords.com/the-wayward-trail-notes/

elliot Simpson - National Reso-Phonic Just Intonation Tricone guitar, invented in 2002 by Lou Harrison

Walter Zimmermann: 15 Zwiefache Transzendiert (1977-81)
David B. Doty: Steel Suite (2003-2008)
Larry Polansky: Songs and Toods (2005)
Ezequiel Menalled: Forward (2014)


Lou Harrison / John Luther Adams: Just Strings (Microfest Records)

http://microfestrecords.com/just-strings-notes/

Just Strings: Alison Bjorkedal (Harps), John Schneider (Guitars), T.J. Troy (Percussion)

John Luther Adams: Five Athabascan Dances (1995), Five Yup'ik Dances (1995)
Lou Harrison: Harp Suite #1&2 (1951-92), Lyric Phrases (1972), In Honor of the Divine Mr. Handel (1991)


Bill Alves: Guitars & Gamelan (Microfest Records)

http://microfestrecords.com/guitars-and-gamelan-notes/

Angin Listrik (2010) - Sean Hayward / Nat Condit-Schultz (electric guitars); Gamelan Dharma Kanti
Rational Basis (2011) - Los Angeles Electric 8
Concerto for Guitar and Gamelan (2004) - John Schneider (JI guitar); the HMC American Gamelan
Metalloid (2007) - HMC Electronic Music Ensemble

[Dax]

http://www.r3ok.com/index.php/topic,847.0.html

Here's a link to a microtonal discussion on another forum which members may find of interest.

[torut]

Paul Rubenstein is a microtonal composer and original instrument builder. He explores 7-note scales with various intervals. He said Solo Trios is strongly influenced by Morton Feldman, particularly Triadic Memories. (But the music sounds very different.)

Paul Rubenstein: Solo Trios

streaming & interview: https://spectropolrecords.bandcamp.com/album/solo-trios

1. 10xoxxoxxoxx
2. 10xxoxxoxxox
3. 15xoxoxooxoxoxoxo
4. 15xxxoxooxoxoooxo
5. 13xoxxoxooxoxxo
6. 13xxooxoxxoxoox
7. 14xoxooxxoxoxxoo
8. 14xxooxoxoxxooxo
9. flat bars
10. 9xxxoxxoxx

the number is the number of equal divisions of the octave, an "x" is an interval that's included, an "o" one that's omitted.

[milk]

Paul Rubenstein is a microtonal composer and original instrument builder. He explores 7-note scales with various intervals. He said Solo Trios is strongly influenced by Morton Feldman, particularly Triadic Memories. (But the music sounds very different.)

Paul Rubenstein: Solo Trios

streaming & interview: https://spectropolrecords.bandcamp.com/album/solo-trios

1. 10xoxxoxxoxx
2. 10xxoxxoxxox
3. 15xoxoxooxoxoxoxo
4. 15xxxoxooxoxoooxo
5. 13xoxxoxooxoxxo
6. 13xxooxoxxoxoox
7. 14xoxooxxoxoxxoo
8. 14xxooxoxoxxooxo
9. flat bars
10. 9xxxoxxoxx

the number is the number of equal divisions of the octave, an "x" is an interval that's included, an "o" one that's omitted.

sounds pretty cool!

[Cato]

Paul Rubenstein is a microtonal composer and original instrument builder. He explores 7-note scales with various intervals. He said Solo Trios is strongly influenced by Morton Feldman, particularly Triadic Memories. (But the music sounds very different.)

streaming & interview: https://spectropolrecords.bandcamp.com/album/solo-trios

1. 10xoxxoxxoxx
2. 10xxoxxoxxox
3. 15xoxoxooxoxoxoxo
4. 15xxxoxooxoxoooxo
5. 13xoxxoxooxoxxo
6. 13xxooxoxxoxoox
7. 14xoxooxxoxoxxoo
8. 14xxooxoxoxxooxo
9. flat bars
10. 9xxxoxxoxx

the number is the number of equal divisions of the octave, an "x" is an interval that's included, an "o" one that's omitted.

I have not listened to everything: #1, #3, and #4.  There was a sameness to the style, yet it kept my interest to see where it was headed.

#3 has a sort of Harry Partch in Lhasa feel to it.   0:)

[torut]

sounds pretty cool!

I'm glad it interested you.

I have not listened to everything: #1, #3, and #4.  There was a sameness to the style, yet it kept my interest to see where it was headed.

#3 has a sort of Harry Partch in Lhasa feel to it.   0:)

The music gives an esoteric feeling. He said it's matter of habituation whether notes sound in-tune or out-of-tune, and an interval within a certain range has a particular function (for example, as a third), even if it is off just intonation. I'm not sure about it.

BTW, Rubenstein mentioned some names of microtonal composers. I want to check out their music.

"Some current microtonal composers I've enjoyed listening to lately are Dan Stearns, Jacky Ligon, Neil Haverstick (he played at my wedding), XJ Scott, Chris Vaisvil, Carlo Serafini, Igliashon Jones and I'm probably forgetting a few others."

[Cato]

I'm glad it interested you.

The music gives an esoteric feeling. He said it's matter of habituation whether notes sound in-tune or out-of-tune, and an interval within a certain range has a particular function (for example, as a third), even if it is off just intonation. I'm not sure about it.

I think he is right: however, part of that habituation needs to come from hearing such music at an earlier age.  It will not cause as many wrinkled noses  as in later years.

I have been interested in and gratified by this resurgence of interest in microtonality: I still think that a scalar approach (e.g. Blackwood, Carrillo, Wyschnegradsky ) is best, especially with scales of 24-tones.  Going much beyond that seems not too practical.

To be sure, the groups keeping Harry Partch's legacy alive have been a welcome surprise!

BTW, Rubenstein mentioned some names of microtonal composers. I want to check out their music.

"Some current microtonal composers I've enjoyed listening to lately are Dan Stearns, Jacky Ligon, Neil Haverstick (he played at my wedding), XJ Scott, Chris Vaisvil, Carlo Serafini, Igliashon Jones and I'm probably forgetting a few others."

The Internet has become a great way to hear new composers using quarter-tones or other microtonal scales, and electronics have come a long way from the days of the  Motorola Scalatron. 

See this effort with - 106! - tones per octave!

https://www.youtube.com/v/8re6rFj7q10

[torut]

Though that Catherino's music itself does not sound so challenging, the instrument is interesting. I wonder if a complex composition can be played with it. Maybe good for digitized glissandi or some sound effects?


This is another interesting music based on JI: etudes for prepared digital piano, composed by Dan Trueman, performed by Adam Sliwinski (a member of So Percussion).

NOSTALGIC SYNCHRONIC - etudes for prepared digital piano

The tuning used is "Partial tuning," based on Norwegian fiddle tuning: just tuning with slightly raised minor 6th and lowered minor 3rd, septimal tritone, and major 7th.
"Partial tuning" explained: http://manyarrowsmusic.com/nostalgicsynchronic/?page_id=54

[asin]B011VSBXG4[/asin]

[torut]

Zoran Šćekić: just music ~ music for piano in five limit just intonation
Ana Žgur, piano (Ravello Records)
[asin]B018USLJ9O[/asin]
https://soundcloud.com/parmarecordings/strong-man-just-music

Zoran Šćekić is a Croatian composer, arranger, multimedia artist, and jazz guitarist.

Works like 23.10 and strong man bring to mind Erik Satie's piano pieces, film music, and minimalism, [...] Šćekić masterfully crafts pieces that on the surface portray often lyrical, placid, and harmonic gestures, yet are richly calculated and complex in their construction.