Improvisation on Helmholtz' double siren...

I got to play with Hermann Helmholtz' original "double siren" instrument
at the workshop last weekend and now there is a YouTube video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4vk6J3N_Xg

Here is the YouBlurb:

Hermann von Helmholtz, in his famous book "On the Sensations of
Tone", describes an experimental double siren that he used to
investigate how the ear perceives beats, difference tones, and the
consonance and dissonance of musical intervals. In May 2007, Martin
Carlé restored the siren to operation and demonstrated it at the
Workshop "Klang und Ton -- Fortschritte in der Erfüllung von
Helmholtzens Vermächtnis", which took place at Humboldt University in
Berlin. As the conference drew to a close, I wrapped up my talk and
then ran my fingers across the beautifully crafted wood and brass
instrument. Martin offered to let me play it -- how could I resist
the lure of the siren's song! Here is the resulting improvisation...

Enjoy!

--Bill

What an amazing instrument! And the timbre was really nice too I thought.

On Tue, 22 May 2007, Bill Sethares wrote:

> I got to play with Hermann Helmholtz' original "double siren" instrument
> at the workshop last weekend and now there is a YouTube video...
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4vk6J3N_Xg
>
> Here is the YouBlurb:
>
> Hermann von Helmholtz, in his famous book "On the Sensations of
> Tone", describes an experimental double siren that he used to
> investigate how the ear perceives beats, difference tones, and the
> consonance and dissonance of musical intervals. In May 2007, Martin
> Carlé restored the siren to operation and demonstrated it at the
> Workshop "Klang und Ton -- Fortschritte in der Erfüllung von
> Helmholtzens Vermächtnis", which took place at Humboldt University in
> Berlin. As the conference drew to a close, I wrapped up my talk and
> then ran my fingers across the beautifully crafted wood and brass
> instrument. Martin offered to let me play it -- how could I resist
> the lure of the siren's song! Here is the resulting improvisation...
>
> Enjoy!
>
> --Bill
>
>
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I was surprised at how rich it sounded as well.
Kind of like bagpipes (and I mean that in a good way!)
but with incredibly precise timbral control --
not that I was in any way intending things -- just
that whenever I pushed one of the buttons or wiggled
the lever, something cool happened to the sound.

Unfortunately, I don't think Helmholtz plans on making
any more (grin!)

--Bill

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, Magnus Jonsson <magnus@...>
wrote:
>
> What an amazing instrument! And the timbre was really nice too I
thought.
>
> On Tue, 22 May 2007, Bill Sethares wrote:
>
> > I got to play with Hermann Helmholtz' original "double siren"
instrument
> > at the workshop last weekend and now there is a YouTube video...
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4vk6J3N_Xg
> >
> > Here is the YouBlurb:
> >
> > Hermann von Helmholtz, in his famous book "On the Sensations of
> > Tone", describes an experimental double siren that he used to
> > investigate how the ear perceives beats, difference tones, and the
> > consonance and dissonance of musical intervals. In May 2007, Martin
> > Carlé restored the siren to operation and demonstrated it at the
> > Workshop "Klang und Ton -- Fortschritte in der Erfüllung von
> > Helmholtzens Vermächtnis", which took place at Humboldt University in
> > Berlin. As the conference drew to a close, I wrapped up my talk and
> > then ran my fingers across the beautifully crafted wood and brass
> > instrument. Martin offered to let me play it -- how could I resist
> > the lure of the siren's song! Here is the resulting improvisation...
> >
> > Enjoy!
> >
> > --Bill
> >
> >
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Bill Sethares wrote:
> I got to play with Hermann Helmholtz' original "double siren" instrument
> at the workshop last weekend and now there is a YouTube video...
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4vk6J3N_Xg
>
> Here is the YouBlurb:
>
> Hermann von Helmholtz, in his famous book "On the Sensations of
> Tone", describes an experimental double siren that he used to
> investigate how the ear perceives beats, difference tones, and the
> consonance and dissonance of musical intervals. In May 2007, Martin
> Carl� restored the siren to operation and demonstrated it at the
> Workshop "Klang und Ton -- Fortschritte in der Erf�llung von
> Helmholtzens Verm�chtnis", which took place at Humboldt University in
> Berlin. As the conference drew to a close, I wrapped up my talk and
> then ran my fingers across the beautifully crafted wood and brass
> instrument. Martin offered to let me play it -- how could I resist
> the lure of the siren's song! Here is the resulting improvisation...
>
> Enjoy!
>
> That was great fun to see!

-A.