Re: Let's make a faq

Via Shirley McLane, I just received the following message from Charles
Ives (who was elected to speak on behalf of a group of very unhappy
DWMs). The message reads:

"Could someone give me a rationale for inclusion of the following in a
list of 'tuning FAQs':

> WHY QUARTERTONES ARE NOT SO INTERESTING

.... What's going on down there??"

Personally, I think an answer is called for, but I can't for the life of
me think of what to tell him. And I'm not in the habit of working with
mediums. But he's becoming insistent, and recent messages are becoming
threatening.

Evidently, Chuckie still has a rather nasty temper. My piano
unaccountably keeps going out of tune and playing "God Save the King" in
the middle of the night. Can someone help?

--Steve

Stephen Soderberg
Music Division
Library of Congress

Stephen Soderberg wrote,

<<Via Shirley McLane, I just received the following message from
Charles Ives (who was elected to speak on behalf of a group of very
unhappy DWMs). The message reads:

"Could someone give me a rationale for inclusion of the following in a
list of 'tuning FAQs':

WHY QUARTERTONES ARE NOT SO INTERESTING>>

Ha, that's all pretty funny! And yeah, that's never really been a
"frequently asked question" around my neck of the woods either...

Please -- just the history, facts and figures! Or at least let's let
folks try and decide what's interesting and "not so interesting" on
their own whenever possible.

--Dan Stearns

I think there is a lot of bias showing in the making of this FAQ and it makes
me uncomfortable. Surely there is no need to slander quartertones per Ivor
Darreg, et al. Haven't we progressed passed that. Isn't it irrefutable that
there are wonderful compositions utilizing quartertones?

It could get very personal if we start attacking here and there...but the
differences may be very real. It reminds me that Schoenberg held that his
music was pantonal, despite the reality that the media would insist it is
atonal.

I still feel, in the center of my being, that microtonal intervals can also
be larger intervals than intervals "smaller than a semitone." And yet I know
others teach differently. Maybe it's a better idea to simply point to
different web sites that are clearer in their biases. This list needs to
remain tolerant of differences, IMHO.

Johnny Reinhard

> I think there is a lot of bias showing in the making of this FAQ and
it makes
> me uncomfortable.

Of course it's biased so far! Only about 3 people have suggested
questions. Instead of complaining about it, how about suggesting your
own list of non-contentious questions to help newbies get started. Or
better still, provide some answers.

I'm sure the quartertones question is out. Editor?