monz's Mahler 7th MIDI-files

hi Gene,

> From: "Gene Ward Smith" <gwsmith@svpal.org>
> To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2003 1:24 PM
> Subject: [tuning] Re: Mahler MIDI for lucytuning
>
>
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "monz" <monz@a...> wrote:
>
> > the one i'd really like to hear is the 7th.
>
> In lieu of an actual meantone version, I'm working
> on getting a grail version. You could help by telling
> me which key signatures are used in each of the seven
> sections.

links to my Mahler 7th MIDI-files:
http://sonic-arts.org/monzo/mahler/mahler7th.htm
http://www.classicalarchives.com/main/m.html

(the files at sonic-arts will be the most current)

Gene, i know that you have a personal interest in retuning
this to grail. but based on my very intensive study
of Mahler, i think the only two tunings he ever would
have had in mind would be 12edo and 31edo. i'd really
like to hear the 31edo version of the 7th. anyway ...

here's the list of all the key-signatures, with the
measure-numbers and SMPTE minute:second:frame timings
for my seven MIDI-files of the 1st movement of the 7th.

for sections which are in a minor key, i put
the relative major key in parentheses.

SMPTE measure key

INTRODUCTION (mah7-1in.mid)

00:00:00 1 B-minor (D)
02:30:24 27 Eb-minor (Gb)
02:53:19 32 B-minor (D)

EXPOSITION (mah7-1ex.mid)

00:00:00 1 E-minor (G)
00:41:26 31 B
01:14:14 50 E-minor (G)
01:52:27 69 C
03:11:20 85 G

EXPOSITION REPEAT (mah7-1xr.mid)

00:00:00 1 E-minor (G)
00:37:09 30 B-minor (D)

DEVELOPMENT (mah7-1dv.mid)

00:00:00: 1 C ("atonal", see below)
00:40:24 18 G/E-minor
01:20:03 31 Eb
02:08:10 39 G
02:56:00 71 C
04:46:11 90 B

RECAP OF INTRODUCTION (mah7-1ir.mid)

00:00:00 1 B (no change of key-sig., but here
the music is really in B-minor)

RECAP (mah7-1rc.mid)

00:00:00: 1 E-minor (G)
01:24:09 55 B
01:58:02 78 G
03:56:03 111 E
04:05:16 115 E-minor (G)

CODA (mah7-1cd.mid)

00:00:00 1 E-minor (no change of key-sig.)
02:36:12 49 E

(oops! ... i see that i missed a few key-signatures
in my MIDI-files. oh well, the notes are still correct.)

in the first part of the development section, Mahler
uses a blank key-signature *not* because the music
is in the key of C, but rather because harmonically
it's all over the place.

another thing to take note of: in this piece
Mahler was using the "neopolitan" relationship
a lot: i.e., F *naturals* keep appearing in
sections which are in E-minor (where they would
normally be F-sharps). in fact, a very common
cadence in this piece uses F-major chords going
to either E-minor or E-major.

this has something to do with Mahler's large-scale
key structures: the overall keys of each movement are:

1. B-minor/E-major
2. C-minor
3. D-minor
4. F-major
5. C-major

so the symphony starts in B-minor, but it's already
a weird sort of B-minor which includes G#, and the
first movement ends in E-major. but everywhere there
are intrusions of notes belonging to C-major.

-monz