In light of the extensive temperament discussion, why composers choose particular keys, do composers think in temperaments or just intonation, and lots more, I am forwarding the following from the TUNING list. Paul Bailey Modesto, CA Message: 4 Date: Sat, 03 Nov 2001 18:33:19 -0000 From: jpehrson@rcn.com Subject: Scriabin and our geometric microtonality Anton Rovner sent me the following missive... I was rather surprised that, apparently, Scriabin had been flirting with some of the ideas, including the presentation of microtonality through geometry, that have been presented and studied on this list! Here's the letter!: Dear Joseph, A while ago, I have sent to Johnny Reinhard these quotations from Sabaneyev's book "Remembrances of Scriabin", published in 1925 (and reprinted in 2000). I just thought that since you put my report on Protopopoff on the Tuning List, perhaps you could put these up too. I should lret you know that a couple of months ago I have temporarily unsubscribed from the Tuning List for the single reason of some weighty problems with my computer, but I do plan to re-subscribe sometime soon and join the interesting discussions. In the meantime, I think that the other members of the Tuning List would be very interested in these musings on microtonality, so I would be grateful if you could post this as well. First quotation - Sabaneyev writes about Scriabin playing his Eighth Sonata for him: "In this sonata he especially liked the multi-layered harmonies featuring nine pitches. 'Here I allready have nine-pitched chords,' he said joyfully, 'this is how they go and according to this principle. It is always important that the harmony would certain principle. By now I already have a certain feeling that these harmonies do not fit into this temperament. I need to invent some kinds of signs for these sounds. Before, when I did not have notes repeat so often in my harmonies, it was easier. I could indicate everything. But now I feel that in my harmonies there could result two sounds, for which you <couldn't find> (italicized) a different indication. For instance, this ninth should be <lower than the standard one and much lower> (italicized)...' 'It is something like the seventeenth overtone' I said to him. 'Maybe it is something of that sort... I feel that I can find these sounds in nature, that they <have existed before> (italicized). Just as the bell-like sounds from the Seventh Sonata... Once I have explained briefly to Alexander Nikolayevich about the theory of overtones and indicated that linear bodies have a simple harmonic series of overtones, while bodies with width and breadth already have much more complex series... Alexander Nikolayevich was greatly interested in this. 'This means that each geometric shape has a corresponding harmonic system,' he concluded. 'So what does this mean? That eachharmony contains a form, which depicts it - this is <extremely interesting!> (italicized) It is a bridge between music and geometry...' " Second quotation: Scriabin shows Sabaneyev fragments from the music of the Prefatory Action: "He came up to the piano to show me the 'new harmonies', which he had created. They had an abundance of notes in them, though their basis was similar to the harmonies of 'Prometheus'. 'Here I already need some kind of notation, since I feel that these are not the usual sounds... Who knows, I might even have to <invent instruments> (italics)!' he said, almost with a shudder. 'I am thinking of indicating <with numbers> (italics) the signs for raising the pitches, when they cannot be indicated with sharps and flats. For instance, if I would need the seventh overtone, I would write the number 7... What do you think of that?' I thought that this question of notation was so complex, that it was not possible to limit oneself merely to numbers. I told him: 'You will first have to conceive your harmonies, Alexander Nikolayevich, by trying them out on an instrument with the most sensitive type of temperation, and only then you could creat the notation for this temperament. Otherwise you would notate something different from what you need or what you think.' Alexander Nikolayevich was evidently not satisfied with this decision. As I understood, he wanted an instant solution to the problem - this instant and here on the spot - rather than to invent some kind of new instrument. 'But I do not have any time to wait!' he said impatiently. 'I ned to be able to notate <already now> (italics). I feel here, for instance, that this sound (he played his new harmonic chord) is higher than G- sharp and lower than A. So how could I notate it? I <think> (italics) that this is the eleventh overtone from the pitch D, and I want to express it as a harmonic note... Isn't that good?' I saw that this was <not good> (italics), but his forcefulness was too swift and that he demanded momentous advice. 'Do you want me to think about it and propose to you a system of notation?' I said to him. 'That is exactly what I need and very soon... Oh, I would be so obliged to you, Leonid Leonidovich! You don't even know, how greatly this would ease my burden" Third quotation: (Next page from the previous quotation.) "He looked thoughfully: apparently the question of notating movements was for him in an even more primitive condition than the question of notating ultrachromatic sounds. His thought, in all possibility, ran ahead of the real work - it was clear from the fact that, in all essence, he did not have any use of the new notation up to the very end and the sketches for the 'Prefatory Action' fit just as perfectly into our twelve-equal temperament, just like the symphony of gestures and movements did not go any further in its details than the condition of the 'color symphony' of Prometheus. These were all glimmerings of thoughts, some kind of unformed projects, but not realizations. Nevertheless, I have invented for him a notation for pitches and have demonstrated it for him. The notation was in several projects: one was based on the 53-noe scale, while the other one was approximate - quarter-tone. He liked the first project better. 'This is better because it is more exact, and, moreover, I obtain <pure> (italics) intervals, which is very important... You know, I think that I could dispense without building a new instrument. I already know all of these sounds - they already sound for me' he said 'while in violins and in strings you could fixate them, just like with a voice. It is true, though, that one needs to learn those for a long time, and to re-educate musicians, but this would be necessary anyway. I would require a totally different type of playing. Each musician would be a <participant> (italics) of the action and not just a musician. They would be required to create gestures of some kinds. They would need to play occasionally in such a way, as if feeling each sound, as if <caressing> (italics) it.' And Alexander Nikolayevich depicted on an imaginary violin, how this problematic violinist would play, carressing the sounds... 'These tremolando effects, they make up the ultra-chromatic trill - they would be added here as part of the conception... It seems that the wind and brass instruments too are capable of intermediary sounds, trombones definitely, but I think that any wind or brass instrument could raise minimally and lower pitch... So no new instruments are necessary at all, especially complex ones. Because the more complex an instrument is, the less direct in its effect it is, the more mechanical qualities and rational plan it has and less mysticism, less <astral quality> (italics). The voice and the violin are the most perfect instruments' Scriabin unexpectedly concluded, notwithstanding the fact that he wrote a whole body of literature for the 'rational' instrument, the piano, and not a single piece for voice or violin." Best, Anton
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