[Fwd: Analysis of your "O gloriosa domina"]

Fwd. from off-list, a note on their tuning practices from a
member of Anonymous 4 :-)

Susan Hellauer wrote:
>
> Dear Mr. Finnamore:
>
> Thanks for your marvelous letter. Of course, I am afraid to go look at
> the site, but I guess I will sooner or later.
>
> We don't concentrate on tuning systems in a minute way. I've been in
> a performance where that was done, and it was very hard to make
> actual music -- but then, if everyone had mastered the system (I think
> it was some sort of meantone), it would become second nature and be
> transcended, like learning to drive a stickshift.
>
> In any case, we aim for ending in the same ballpark where the piece
> began, first of all ("staying in tune" in the grossest sense). Making
> our structural fifths rather high, major thirds a bit small and minor
> thirds a bit large, (all subject to adjustment, especially at cadences)
> seems to help us do that. Certain modes seem to call for adjustments,
> especially in semitone relationships.
>
> We appreciate your appreciation, believe me. I will get courageous
> enough to step right up to the spectrograph and see what it made of
> us, I promise.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Susan Hellauer
> Anonymous 4
>
> PS -- The Lily and the Lamb is one of our particular favorite cds, too.

David
OK, I can wake up anytime now.