violin thread

[Gilreath@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-05-13 19:39:01 EDT, you write:

<< I think one can overemphasize the awfulness of listening to out of tune
 string playing. Chamber music is still my great joy, though the chances to
 play with people who are _really_ in tune only arrive years apart, when they
 arrive at all. One can still imagine the music as one plays it, the way one
 would like to have it. Hearing how it is constructed, and making one's own
 part congruent with that, is still very gratifying.
  >>

Susan and the list,

It's interesting that this thread should work its way around to this point.
 As a brass player (trombone) who works with other techs who are also brass
players (my associate has a Master's in Horn performance), this echoes a
number of the areas that we discuss at great length.  The variable intonation
instruments allow for a totally different level of musical expression, if
they are used correctly.  During brass quintet rehearsals, we will spend
periods of time discussing the tonal function of the parts and working out
modifications of the tuning to acheive that end (of course there again, two
of us are piano techs.)

With the recent resurgence of interest in historical temperaments and
refinement of equal temperament, it's no wonder that we should be
continuously questioning "what really is in tune?"  Besides the ability to
compare a note to an absolute pitch reference (which I'm an eternally
thankful that we now have) the newest tool that is opening new doors of
understanding for me is the spectragram.  Spectral analysis of the tone,
particularly viewing the relative strengths of partials is giving me a lot of
new insight into "why" a certain note or instrument sounds the way it does.
 Moreover, it is letting me begin to develop some cause and effect
relationships and compare before and after situations with something other
than just my memory.

Personally I love discussing "applied tuning" with musicians, even the
violinists.  One of my favorite things to do when presenting a program to a
group of music majors os to start out by telling them that there is no such
thing as "perfect pitch." You can almost always see one person in the room
immediately begin to bristle up as the others look around at the supposed
posessor (sp?).  Then, citing Jorgensen, Barbour and the very subjects that
have been discussed in this thread, it's pretty easy to construct a logical,
reasonable case and hopefully keep the person with a highly developed sense
of tonal memory from making a fool of his or her self at some point on the
future.

Sorry if this seems to ramble, but the subject is fascinating and there are
probably more people involved in it than we would ever imagine.

Allan

Allan L. Gilreath, RPT
Gilreath Piano & Organ Co.
Berry College
Gilreath@aol.com
Calhoun, GA USA