Yahoo Tuning Groups Ultimate Backup tuning Arseny Avraamov article

I'm back in New York... just arrived today. However, my friend in
Russia, Anton Rovner, sent me an article he would like posted to the
Tuning List. It is his translation of Arseny Avraamov's article
which appeared in the periodical "Muzyka" September 5, 1915 in
Moscow. As you can see from the article, it addresses several issues
which have been discussed on the list... including the practice of
string playing in just intonation... pros and cons. Additionally, it
makes some rather humorous comments on unnecessary "virtuosity" that
I believe will ring well with certain members of this tuning
community.

It seems as though Mr. Rovner will soon be joining the Tuning List,
and while lecturing at the electronic music studio of the Moscow
Conservatory, I urged several other composers to join the list as
well... since I don't believe there are any Russian participants on
it... So, hopefully, there will be some other new posters.

Anyway, here's Rovner's translation of the Avraamov article:

_________________________
Arseny Avraamov

The Open Strings of the Quintet as a Basis for Detuned Orchestral
Sound

The string quintet does not provide well-tempered open strings. This
way, the temperament of the orchestra contains five (excluding the
repetitions in the different octaves) fixed points,

cgdae

which contradict with an accoustic precision the entire foundation of
orchestral intonation. To begin with, there is no tonality, in which
all five pitches of the open strings could be used impunibly: at a
first superficial glance it would seem that there are three such
tonalities, --

F major, C major, G major,

Plus the three relative descending melodic minor keys. Nevertheless,
with a few rather simple experiments it is easy to prove the
contrary, which is exactly as follows:

1. In C major it is not possible to use the open strings E2A2
of the double-bass, the A3 of the cello, the A4 of the viola and the
A4E5 of the violin.

2. In G major the E2 of the double-bass and the E5 of the
violin.

3. The tonic of F major is not available on open strings, which is
why on the given tonality it is not possible to establish one unified
rule. Everything is determined by those tonalities from which we have
come to this F major. If the modulation tok place from C major, then
only the pitches C and G of the open strings would be appropriate,
while all the others would be excessively high, whereas if it would
be a sudden modulation from A major (assuming the tonic a, lying on
the open string), then the opposite would be the case all the
other pitches of the open strings would be appropriate except for C
and G, which would turn out to be excessively low.

4. Similar double aplications are feasible on the relative minor
tonalities of D minor, A minor and E-minor: if they happen to be the
source tonalities, then undoubtedly it is particularly their tonics
are given on open strings, and the limitations of their usage consist
merely of the following: in D minor, the undoubtedly low pitch would
be the descending C, in A minor it would be C and the descending G,
whereas in E minor it would be C, G and the descending D; if we
approach these keys from their relative major keys, then the
forementioned pitches would be in tune, while all the other open
string pitches would be excessively high. Any move upwards of
downwards from the pitches of the open strings in all the mentioned
cases would be at an interval of a comma (80:81); this practically
always demands the replacement of the open string with the
corresponding pitches, taken by ear on the adjacent lower string.

The following experiments undoubtedly prove the validity of my
position. They were written for the particular purpose of being tried
out on a violin, in this case the durations of the notes are of
little consequence: the important thing is to adhere to the
unbreakable chain of dyads. The pitches, placed below into the
bass-clef, present themselves as the actually heard combinational
tone, complementing the major sixth, for the purpose of obtaining a
full triad: they are indicated for the purpose of exact tuning with
the ear of this interval al the others are in essence octaves
and unisons.

<<Musical examples given on one staff (resembling a fourth species
counterpoint exercise, the lower voice given in whole notes, while
the upper voice apearing as the second half note after a half rest,
and then suspended over the next measure with bass-notes given as
supplementary notes on an adjacent staff:

I. G3-C5-/-C4-A4-(bass: F2)-//

II. G3-G4-/-E5-(bass: C3)-E5 (open, sul E) (fermata)-//

III. (chord on a whole note) G3-D4-B4-E5-//

IV. G3-C5-/-C4-F4-/-D5-D4-(bass: Bb2)>>

I. Approaching the "unison" on A, we hear that
the open A presents a detuned, excessively high-pitched sound. The
fact that we are situated within the boundary of C major is obviously
demonstrated by the presence of its tonic and of both dominants in
this example.

II. The E of the open fifth is higher to the same degree
than the E taken on the A string with the fourth finger. It is
excessively high-pitched for both tonalities, the tonic chords of
which are given in the example.

III. Tuning the D-B dyad exactly and checking the B-E dyad
we can see that it is strenuous; raising B to an adequate degree and
checking out the major sixth, we can hear the combinational tone,
which is close to G# (the eleventh partial of D), which sounds
somewhat lower; returning B to its initiate tuning, we will notice
that the combinational tone descended to a pure G. Consequently the E
of the open string, likewise its derived perfect fourth do not
pertain to the temperament of G major.

IV. In this example one must be extremely careful, as the
stretch of fingers on the octave C-C and the transfer of the second
finger from G to A might cause a change of the F pitch, unperceivable
to the eye. If the experiment is carried out successfully, then the D
on the open string will turn out to be excessively high-pitched.
Consequently in F major, the sounds of all the strings except of the
G string should necessarily be taken only as closed strings. If one
is to play out the last example in backwards or retrograde motion, or
to achieve the same result, if one plays the F major scale in scalar
motion downwards starting from the open A string, we will notice that
the G string has already become excessively low-pitched, whereas the
D string sounds very much in tune.

I recommend the readers to convince themself of my statements also by
the following means: to play in first position at a slow tempo all
the six scales mentioned by me, respectively from G upwards and from
E downwards, always utilizing the fourth finger and comparing it
immediately with the sound of the corresponding open string.

All that has been stated above results in the surprising conclusion,
that our diatonic scale is extremely inexact, so no fixed points,
even those that are accoustically well tuned, could satisfy the
diverse demands of the modal intonationsAll the more to be
concludedabout chromaticism and enharmonicism.

Until all of these considerations have not entered the heart and mind
of orchestral musicians, it would be best id they would avoid open
strings entirely, substituting them each time with closed strings;
this would even greatly enhance the melodic wholeness of a musical
phrase, since who could ever fail to notice that the sound of the
open string stands out even in a many-pitched chord by the means of
its strength and evenness, creating with its sound a bright but
petrified spot Nevertheless, we know very well that once we
deprive a violinist or a celist of open strings, his intonation
immediately begins to hang in the air: the open strings present
themselves as that "oven", from which his fingers dance on
the
fingerboard How many trickeries,how much conscious false
temperament
is brought in by the violinist, in order to hold on, to grasp that
one
single open string in"difficult" key signatures even if
its pitch
holds a most insignificant position in that key he will still
think
about it continuously and if you, naïve composer, would deprive
him of
the "last" foundation with a sporadic modulation happening at
a
decisive movement blame yourself for that surprise, which the
interpreter of your violinistic fancies will bring to youIt
would be
better to drive the performer to despair at once by a complete lack
of
open strings, by means of insertion of no less that four flats or
five
sharps into the key signature, so at least you do not risk hearing an
unwieldy open E string in G major if not something even worse!

It is quite characteristic that the cause for this continuously
rising carelesness on the part of instrumentalists towards the purity
of musical intonation has been the result of the development of
virtuosic musical literature If the contemporary virtuoso cannot
treat with respect the feigned "Geläufigkeit", obtained at
the price of all sorts of faking and untidiness in virtuosic
passages,
how much more sadly must the theoretician witness the development of
a
literature which is unthinkable to perform without a conscious faking
of intonationsmoreover on those very instruments, one of the
main accomplishments of which is particularly the ability to perform
with the purest intonation possibly, relying substantially to the
demands of one's audible perception, which arise out of the
unshakeable logic of sound. It is already a long time that we should
stop considering as "high art", smelling of sweat, the
mastery by
one "artist" of the technical difficulty, which is
non-existant
for two musicians: the quasi-three-voiced Capriccio by Paganini will
turn into a child's play, if one is to give the tremolando to one
violinist and the melody to another, albeit undoubtedly these two
would play it in a much more pure and expressive manner not to
mention the fact that the composer, not being burdened by a special
technical challenge, could have put in a much more significant
musical
idea to this "present trifle". That creative art which is
contained
into the narrow limitations of the possibilities of dexterity of
fingers limits itself in such a heartless manner, that it ceases to
contain a self-contained value of its own. Following this train of
thought, no technical accomplishments can arouse our happiness when
you know concisely at what expensive a price they were bought. The
moment will eventualy arise when art with a sober critical glance
will
view its buffoonish costume and will desire to cast it off, in order
to clothe itself once again in a white tunic and a modest wreath of
field flowers alas! it will be necessary to tear out this
bufoonery, firmly enroted, together with pieces of living flesh
and
the snow-white tunic, when put on blood-let wounds, will more than
once be speckled with crimson.

The bitter pathos of these lines will appeal and be understandabe to
those, who love music in itself, as a magic combination of tones into
upright harmonious constructions, torn away from Chaos, adorned with
intricate melodic and rhythmic ornamentation. No matter what is
"expressed" or "depicted" by this or that chord, it
should first and
foremost be a true chord and not a false likeness of one. And if the
purity of the creative conception would shine with a bright halo over
the spirit of our art, then the spirit of melodic intonation becomes
that snow-white tunic, which covers its beautiful body, so as a
result, it becomes dificult to be excessively demanding in this
primeval condition, without which music ceases to be music!

Arseny Avraamov

"Muzyka" weekly newsletter, September 5, 1915, Moscow, Vol.
5, N.222, pp.315-318

Translated by Anton Rovner

--- In tuning@y..., jpehrson@r... wrote:

Additionally, it
> makes some rather humorous comments on unnecessary "virtuosity" that
> I believe will ring well with certain members of this tuning
> community.
>
That creative art which is
> contained
> into the narrow limitations of the possibilities of dexterity of
> fingers limits itself in such a heartless manner, that it ceases to
> contain a self-contained value of its own. Following this train of
> thought, no technical accomplishments can arouse our happiness when
> you know concisely at what expensive a price they were bought. The
> moment will eventualy arise when art with a sober critical glance
> will
> view its buffoonish costume and will desire to cast it off, in
order
> to clothe itself once again in a white tunic and a modest wreath of
> field flowers alas! it will be necessary to tear out this
> bufoonery, firmly enroted, together with pieces of living flesh
> and
> the snow-white tunic, when put on blood-let wounds, will more than
> once be speckled with crimson.
>
> The bitter pathos of these lines will appeal and be understandabe
to
> those, who love music in itself, as a magic combination of tones
into
> upright harmonious constructions, torn away from Chaos, adorned
with
> intricate melodic and rhythmic ornamentation. No matter what is
> "expressed" or "depicted" by this or that chord, it
> should first and
> foremost be a true chord and not a false likeness of one. And if
the
> purity of the creative conception would shine with a bright halo
over
> the spirit of our art, then the spirit of melodic intonation
becomes
> that snow-white tunic, which covers its beautiful body, so as a
> result, it becomes dificult to be excessively demanding in this
> primeval condition, without which music ceases to be music!
>
> Arseny Avraamov
>
> "Muzyka" weekly newsletter, September 5, 1915, Moscow, Vol.
> 5, N.222, pp.315-318
>
> Translated by Anton Rovner

Joseph,

This carries deepest resonance with me for sure - but I suppose you
guessed that already.

This especially:

"And if the purity of the creative conception would shine with a
bright halo over the spirit of our art, then the spirit of melodic
intonation becomes that snow-white tunic, which covers its beautiful
body, so as a result, it becomes dificult to be excessively demanding
in this primeval condition, without which music ceases to be music!"

Spoken of true musical heart, and beautifully written. Could have
been inspired by digesting a Milton Babbit album. Here's someone
thinking about the Enduring Qualities.

I will look forward to Anton's presense here.

Thanks,

Jacky Ligon

Arseny Avraamov article

🔗jpehrson@rcn.com

🔗ligonj@northstate.net

🔗D.Stearns <STEARNS@CAPECOD.NET>