RE: sympathetic strings

> Sympathetic strings will work by transmission through the air, but will be
> much louder when they share a soundboard, or a bridge and soundboard, with
> the plucked or bowed string.

You can easily notice the difference in volume of the sympathetic
strings if you damp the soundboard near the bridge (or both bridges)
by firmly pressing a few fingers against it.

Manuel Op de Coul coul@ezh.nl

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The enigmatic scale used by Verdi in the first of the Quattro Pezzi
Sacri (Ave Maria) --

ascending C Db E F# G# A# B C

descending C B A# G# F E Db C

The scale is sung in whole notes four times ascending and descending...
1) basses on C, 2) altos on C, 3) tenors on F, sopranos on F.

All four pieces are published by C.F. Peters.

Norman Hessert
nhes@music.stlawu.edu

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The Verdi is extremely beautiful. Not to missed, however, is the String
Quartet of Luigi Nono _Fragmente -- Stille, an Diotoma_ (1980) where the
_scala enigmatica_ is used as source material, with quarter tone
''diminutions'' (used in several of Nono's late pieces). This work is one
of the best examples I know of the predominant European microtonal
technique where quarter tones (it is usually unclear how exactly they are
to be played) are used to create a more ''distanced'' quality through an
increase in surface resources. (Members of the Ferneyhough clique and most
of the younger English Complexies work in this direction; C.-S. Mahnkopf
has used 8th tones - his book on Oboe technique with Peter Veale gives
fingerings; Ferneyhough himself has used pitches from 31tet, but without
any harmonic implications). This contrasts, for example, with Clarens
Bahlough's use of quarter tones to maximize the variety of scales (in the
''Autobus'' piece).

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