Melodic Limina

I wish to comment again (briefly) on the melodic limen as it affects the
determination of temperament. Even if the melodic limen were to be set
so low as 40-45 cents - which would absolutely astound me - this would
still favor 19-tone equal, as the 31-tone equal (tuning degree 39 cents)
would be still excluded from consideration. The 22-tone equal is
worthless, for the reasons I have given on the list. 24-tone equal is a
mere mirror of 12-tone equal, with no way to harmonically or melodically
integrate its two parallel cycles of fifths.

But as I have stated before, it is slightly easier to argue that the
true melodic limen is 60-65 cents than 50-55 cents. In actual
performance the hurry and excitement tend to reduce, not to increase the
aural acuity of the audience and performer. The real debate is not
between 19-tone advocates and those who advocate still more tones, but
between 19-toners (enneadecaphonists) and 12-toners (dodecaphonists,
pace the Schoenbergian alternate meaning). The 12-toners have so far had
much the better of the argument - almost wholly by default, because
19-tone has been scarcely considered, and that due to the habits of
musical instrument designers, not due to any more profound cause.

Instead of attending to real issues, microtonalists have busied
themselves with schemes for 31 or 50 tones in the octave (or other
systems even wilder,) which only makes ordinary musicians smile at the
lunacy of the professors. But one day 19-tone equal _will_ come into its
own. In that time 12-tone equal will be viewed as we today consider
Siamese 7-tone equal temperament - a curiosum of the past, and evidence
that mankind _is_ capable of expressing himself musically - to a limited
extent - with the most crippled, impoverished means. (Those whose
hypocritical hypersensibility leads them to conclude from this last
point that I am insulting the Siamese, I leave to their affected
outrage, much good may it do them.)


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From: Gregg Gibson
Subject: Judging Effect of Temperaments
PostedDate: 17-12-97 01:18:06
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>One of the main difficulties in judging of the effect of temperaments in
>actual music is that so much depends on the inspiration of the composer,
>and the culture and nature of his audience.

For whatever it's worth, although I disagree with Gregg on a number of
his comments, I certainly agree with him here!


SMTPOriginator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
From: Gregg Gibson
Subject: Reply to Kris Peck, in Hopes of Converting Him to the True Faith
PostedDate: 20-12-97 07:04:58
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