Microtonal Music at the Edinburgh Festival.

Hi folks, I thought you might be interested in a short report from
Scotland on microtonal music at the Edinburgh Festival (the "world's
biggest arts festival"). Well in fact there wasn't really any
microtonal or justly intoned music advertised anywhere on the programmes
of the Official or the Fringe festival. Apart from a few "world" music
artists and perhaps a small a cappella ensemble or two who may or may
not have produced music of non 12 tet interest, we were dished up the
usual fare of Baroque, Classical and Romantic "Masters". The highlight
of the festival was the appearance of Pierre Boulez (erstwhile
polemicist and revolutionary who now conducts with great expertise the
tonal music that he found so regressive in his heyday). Still, he is a
good conductor. Still no microtonal music.

Digging deeper I went to a recital of Guillaume de Machaut's Messe de
Nostre Dame given by The Hilliard Ensemble. I know from having read a
paper by their leader that they are very much aware of tuning, in
particular of the Pythagorean possibilities of early choral music. Apart
from the sheer awesome beauty and power of Machaut's music we were
treated to a feast of crunchy thirds and spicy sevenths, with gorgeous
pure fifths, fourths and octaves. Real Xeno-Gothic music and truly
inspiring to composer's like myself in search of an modern choral
microtonal/modal idiom. I then attended an rendition of Palestrina's
mass "Ego Fratres Enim" by the Taverner Consort, another prestigious
ensemble. I know from experience as a chorister that there are frequent
opportunities in Renaissance polyphony to 'stretch and squeeze' the
intervals. Unfortunately, for me, this rendition was pinned down by a
chamber organ and a cornettino (early trumpet). I felt that the organ
(probably in 12 tet) and the cornettino (which seemed to have some
tuning latitude as a result of embouchure) were out of tune with each
other, though the cornettino did produce some interesting notes at
cadences. The overall effect was that the singers didn't really get a
chance to stretch out. I don't know enough about the piece to establish
if this was the composer's arrangement or the Consort's but I felt
slightly disappointed at the inclusion of the organ. Please feel free
to inform me on any of this.

Anyway, the star performance was tucked away just outside the church
where Machaut's Mass was to be performed. A young American man called
Lela was playing his own creation, the Stamenphone. Following a dream in
which he was playing music on a flower, he designed this incredibly
original instrument, more details of which can be seen at
www.lelavision.com. It is basically a metal gourd, the resonating
chamber, from which a central vertical pole rises about seven feet high,
capped by a metal vase. Piano strings are stretched at an angle from
the vase to the gourd and these strings are marked at the most important
harmonic nodes with white marker paint. The strings are bowed with a
cello bow and the other hand stops the nodes and/or bends the strings,
fingers facing the strings. The music, in just intonation, was beautiful
and the timbre cello-like in its rapid arpeggios but with the added
interest of microtonal bends. Now, if the Hilliard Ensemble and this
young man were to get together. . . . . .

Finally, a request. Next festival and maybe before, I would dearly love
to set up performances of microtonal or J.I. music in and around
Scotland. Any composers, performers, instrument builders, theorists in
the region - please get in touch. Seems like there could be a gap in the
market. Thanks to all the regular tunesters for a wonderful discussion
forum.