experience with a "real, live" player

I just had a conversation with violist Olivia Koppell, who is going
to be premiering my _Violahexy_ for viola and electronics this May.

She is a performer who has only had a *very* limited experience with
microtonality, basically confined to quartertones, which she has no
problem with.

I asked her if she had any comments and questions about my piece.

This is an *earlier* work (2000) that was written in "cents notation"
and uses a 1,3,5,7,9 Hexany scale.

Immediately the question she had was whether, besides the
quartertones, which she could do easily, she could actually *hear*
the cents deviations from a quartertone, which, in some cases are as
small as +2 and +4 cents.

She questioned her *own* ability to do it and then asked whether *I*
could actually hear these intervals.

"Can *you*??" she asked?

I had to rather hem and haw since, quite frankly, I really don't know.

Surely I have no trouble hearing intervals of + - 17 or 33 cents, but
these smaller ones? Well, I have my own doubts as well.

I mentioned to her that I managed to "streamline" this entire process
by using a new notation by Ezra Sims which uses only 1/6th whole tone
and 1/12 whole tones, in addition to standard quartertones.

Quite frankly, I believe I can "sell" that system better than
the "cents" one, since I believe I can realistically *hear* it.

I realize that not everybody agrees with this appraisal, but I just
wanted to report my own *personal* experiences and why I am feeling
more "comfortable" at the moment in working with 72-tET rather than
with 1200-tET...

I will gladly "toast" to those with more refined hearing than my
own...

Joseph Pehrson

----- Original Message ----- > I will gladly "toast" to those with more
refined hearing than my
> own...
>
> Joseph Pehrson

I have always been more for an english muffin than toast Joeseph
what kind of electronics bubby?
do tell

Pat

In a message dated 3/26/02 9:02:51 PM Eastern Standard Time, jpehrson@rcn.com
writes:

> She is a performer who has only had a *very* limited experience with
> microtonality, basically confined to quartertones, which she has no
> problem with.
>
>

Man, you really are in a fishbowl. Olivia plays quartertones no problem and
that's "very" limited? ; )

She didn't say that she couldn't play it, only that she couldn't be sure that
she heard it. What if I said that saying Pehrson in Egyptian is impossible
because they have no P. So now you become Beerson in Egypt. But hello, we
can hear and say P so we can continue to call you Pehrson with near accuracy.

My hunch is that it would take little attention for Olivia to distinguish
smaller degrees of cents. Use the tuning machine.

Best, Johnny

--- In tuning@y..., "shreeswifty" <ppagano@b...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_35888.html#35889

>
> ----- Original Message ----- > I will gladly "toast" to those with
more
> refined hearing than my
> > own...
> >
> > Joseph Pehrson
>
> I have always been more for an english muffin than toast Joeseph
> what kind of electronics bubby?
> do tell
>
> Pat

***Hi Pat!

Mostly TX81Zs action. No CSOUND as yet. Here is a link to a
recording of the piece!:

http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/1416/1416053.html

best,

jp

great
how many TX81s?
at least two i hope
have you driven them with Koan yet Joe??

Pat Pagano, Director
South East Just Intonation Society
http://www.screwmusicforever.com/SHREESWIFT/
----- Original Message -----
From: jpehrson2 <jpehrson@rcn.com>
To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 9:28 PM
Subject: [tuning] Re: experience with a "real, live" player

> --- In tuning@y..., "shreeswifty" <ppagano@b...> wrote:
>
> /tuning/topicId_35888.html#35889
>
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- > I will gladly "toast" to those with
> more
> > refined hearing than my
> > > own...
> > >
> > > Joseph Pehrson
> >
> > I have always been more for an english muffin than toast Joeseph
> > what kind of electronics bubby?
> > do tell
> >
> > Pat
>
> ***Hi Pat!
>
> Mostly TX81Zs action. No CSOUND as yet. Here is a link to a
> recording of the piece!:
>
> http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/1416/1416053.html
>
> best,
>
> jp
>
>
>
>
> You do not need web access to participate. You may subscribe through
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--- In tuning@y..., Afmmjr@a... wrote:

/tuning/topicId_35888.html#35890

>> > She is a performer who has only had a *very* limited experience
with microtonality, basically confined to quartertones, which she has
no problem with.
> >

>
> Man, you really are in a fishbowl. Olivia plays quartertones no
problem and that's "very" limited? ; )
>

***Hey Johnny!

Well, I guess you're right. At least that much is pretty cool...
New York professional players are pretty cool. I've been telling
people that most of them can easily play quartertones these days, and
it's being confirmed...

> She didn't say that she couldn't play it, only that she couldn't be
sure that she heard it.

***Well, she asked *me* if *I* could hear it, and I turned a mild
shade of red and green, since I'm not really sure that I can either!

I mean, 17 cents is cool, but 2 cents?? If I turn my head the wrong
way, like in the "Dream House" it will be off by two cents! :)

What if I said that saying Pehrson in Egyptian is impossible
> because they have no P. So now you become Beerson in Egypt. But
hello, we can hear and say P so we can continue to call you Pehrson
with near accuracy.

***I prefer "Beerson" myself... in fact, I would prefer a beer right
now...

>
> My hunch is that it would take little attention for Olivia to
distinguish smaller degrees of cents.

***Well, she's going to try, so everybody come to the show!

Composers Concordance at NYU Frederick Loewe Theatre (35 W. 4th St.)
on Thursday, May 30, 8PM.

Let's see if Olivia can really play a 2 cent interval!

Bring your geiger counters! :)

Use the tuning machine.
>

***Johnny! As you recall, we are "sharing" that beloved instrument,
and you currently still have it in your possession! :)

Sushi luck for me!

jp

--- In tuning@y..., "shreeswifty" <ppagano@b...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_35888.html#35892

> great
> how many TX81s?
> at least two i hope
> have you driven them with Koan yet Joe??
>
>
>
***Yes, I need two to at least get 16 voices (those beloved old boxes
don't have many, it's true!)

I've never heard of Koan! Probably something I should know about.

I've tuned them up with Scala...

best,

Joe

http://www.sseyo.com

generative Midi etc...

I am using pd to control my two nowadays
i thought new york players were getting paid 2 cents.
abandon the 72 et gimmickry joe
come on home

Pat Pagano, Director
South East Just Intonation Society
http://www.screwmusicforever.com/SHREESWIFT/
----- Original Message -----
From: jpehrson2 <jpehrson@rcn.com>
To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 9:41 PM
Subject: [tuning] Re: experience with a "real, live" player

> --- In tuning@y..., "shreeswifty" <ppagano@b...> wrote:
>
> /tuning/topicId_35888.html#35892
>
> > great
> > how many TX81s?
> > at least two i hope
> > have you driven them with Koan yet Joe??
> >
> >
> >
> ***Yes, I need two to at least get 16 voices (those beloved old boxes
> don't have many, it's true!)
>
> I've never heard of Koan! Probably something I should know about.
>
> I've tuned them up with Scala...
>
> best,
>
> Joe
>
>
>
> You do not need web access to participate. You may subscribe through
> email. Send an empty email to one of these addresses:
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>
>
>