Reply to Adam/ Erv Wilson paper

Adam: The most complete exposition of Erv Wilson's work in Just
Intonation, particularly the Combination Product Sets, is his article
"D'Allesandro, Like a Hurricane" in Xenharmonikon XII: 1-39 (1989).
[ All issues of XH, including the latest one, XH16, are available from
Frog Peak Music, P.O. Box 1052, Lebanon, NH 03766. (603) 448-8837.]
I must warn that the article is concisely and pithily written and
presupposes familiarity with the basic concepts of extended JI such as
Partch tonality Diamonds, generalized keyboards, ratios, prime factors,
etc. It consists of a few pages of mostly historical explanatory text
and many diagrams of keyboards, tuned percussion instruments, tone lattices,
interval charts, notations, etc. However difficult it may appear, it will
reward careful study; the most difficult conceptual hurdle is the lack of a
global tonal center, or rather the presence of multiple equivalent centers,
in the primary CPS, though the Mandala or Stellated Hexany has an 1/1
as do the tonality diamonds.
As Brian mentioned, a number of composers have composed Wilson's
with concepts. These composers include Paul Rapoport, Warren Burt,
Glen Prior, Kraig Grady and Stephen James Taylor, whose soundtrack to
the film, "The Giving," employs the Hebdomekontany, a 70-tone set. Erv's
article, however, is limited to structures built from 6 or fewer factors
(The 70-any consists of the tones defined by the products of 8 factors
taken 4 at a time and is homologous to the smaller 6-any and 20-any.)

--John

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