Two Microtonal Pieces

For Brass and Voice Choirs in 17 edo

This is a piece using 2 keyboards, an M-Audio 88es (vocal choir) and Alesis Q49 (brass choir) in 17 notes per octave. The objective was to use some functional xenharmonic chord progressions. I would be interested in knowing if you perceive the harmonies as having direction, tension and release in the sense of 12 equal common practice chord progressions.

For 2 Violas and Gongs in 10 edo

This is a piece performed on an Alesis Q49 using Kontakt 4b2s viola and gongs samples as the sound source. The violas are retuned to 10 notes per octave. This piece is concentrates more on melodic aspects. This is my first piece in 10 edo and I found it rather easy and intuitive to compose in.

Online play and download can be found here: http://chrisvaisvil.com/?p=1039

First thing: the timbres are very beautiful, the choir as well as the brass and the violas. Quite impressing what is possible nowadays.

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "christopherv" <chrisvaisvil@...> wrote:
>
> For Brass and Voice Choirs in 17 edo
>
> This is a piece using 2 keyboards, an M-Audio 88es (vocal choir)
> and Alesis Q49 (brass choir) in 17 notes per octave. The objective
> was to use some functional xenharmonic chord progressions. I would
> be interested in knowing if you perceive the harmonies as having
> direction, tension and release in the sense of 12 equal common
> practice chord progressions.
>

I would say so, yes. It sure sounds quite "common practice". Maybe even _too_ common practice - in the sense that often, e.g. in the beginning progression, it does not even sound very xenharmonic, rather like familiar 12edo common practice chord progressions, just "out of tune" - and the major chords in the choir timbre sometimes sound downright dissonant, making me think that 17edo may not be well suited for choir timbre... Interestingly, this is different in the middle part (between 1:35 and 2:54) where I like the choir much more.
And there are some progressions that have a clear xentonal character, and which sound quite strong, especially in the brass, e.g. at 1:10, 1:17, 3:19, 3:46, 4:24.
--
Hans Straub

Hi Hans,

Thank you for the listen and comments. Interesting enough some
non-xenharmonic listeners who commented thought the choir was much more
acceptable. The sound is generated using stock Kontakt 4 samples. I have
been very pleased with the quality and versatility of Kontakt. Only Garritan
samples are a better value imho.

Even if the progressions sounded too "common" practice I think its a step in
the right direction. My goal is, some day, to know 17 edo more or less as
well as I know 12 edo. And of course some other select tunings as well.
that will make it much easier to compose in those tunings.

Chris

On Thu, Jul 21, 2011 at 3:41 PM, hstraub64 <straub@...> wrote:

> **
>
>
>
>
> First thing: the timbres are very beautiful, the choir as well as the brass
> and the violas. Quite impressing what is possible nowadays.
>
>
> --- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "christopherv" <chrisvaisvil@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > For Brass and Voice Choirs in 17 edo
> >
> > This is a piece using 2 keyboards, an M-Audio 88es (vocal choir)
> > and Alesis Q49 (brass choir) in 17 notes per octave. The objective
> > was to use some functional xenharmonic chord progressions. I would
> > be interested in knowing if you perceive the harmonies as having
> > direction, tension and release in the sense of 12 equal common
> > practice chord progressions.
> >
>
> I would say so, yes. It sure sounds quite "common practice". Maybe even
> _too_ common practice - in the sense that often, e.g. in the beginning
> progression, it does not even sound very xenharmonic, rather like familiar
> 12edo common practice chord progressions, just "out of tune" - and the major
> chords in the choir timbre sometimes sound downright dissonant, making me
> think that 17edo may not be well suited for choir timbre... Interestingly,
> this is different in the middle part (between 1:35 and 2:54) where I like
> the choir much more.
> And there are some progressions that have a clear xentonal character, and
> which sound quite strong, especially in the brass, e.g. at 1:10, 1:17, 3:19,
> 3:46, 4:24.
> --
> Hans Straub
>
>
>
>

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