"Top 10" Alternative Tuning Pieces/Sections of Pieces?

I was wondering where to start with my
alternative tunings musical listening.

Any suggestions?

Please be more specific than a particular
CD or record, and name the particular piece
or subsection of a particular piece.

Thanks.

Bill Flavell

Bill Flavell wrote:
> I was wondering where to start with my
> alternative tunings musical listening.
> > Any suggestions?
> > Please be more specific than a particular
> CD or record, and name the particular piece
> or subsection of a particular piece.
> > Thanks.
> > > Bill Flavell

Some of my favorites:

Kronos Quartet's Early Music, particularly Uleg-Khem (with Tuvan throat-singing in the harmonic series) and Two Studies on Ancient Greek Scales (by Harry Partch; especially the second one in the enharmonic genus)

Harry Partch's When Petals Fell in Petaluma

Johhny Reinhard's Raven - the whole album is excellent but if I had to pick two they'd be Circle and Dune

Also La Monte Young and any Balinese gamelan you can get your hands on

Keenan Pepper

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Keenan Pepper <keenanpepper@g...> wrote:
>
> Bill Flavell wrote:
> > I was wondering where to start with my
> > alternative tunings musical listening.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
> >
> > Please be more specific than a particular
> > CD or record, and name the particular piece
> > or subsection of a particular piece.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
> > Bill Flavell
>
> Some of my favorites:
>
> Kronos Quartet's Early Music, particularly Uleg-Khem
> (with Tuvan throat-singing in the harmonic series) and
> Two Studies on Ancient Greek Scales (by Harry Partch;
> especially the second one in the enharmonic genus)

There's a great version of the Partch piece by John Schneider.

Kronos has done quite a lot of microtonal music, including
Ben Johnston's _4th Quartet_ and Terry Riley's _Salome
Dances for Peace_ (which fills 2 CDs).

> Harry Partch's When Petals Fell in Petaluma

This is the Partch piece that i've also probably listened
to the most. But think Partch's most evocative pieces are
_U.S. Highball_ and _Barstow_, and my favorites are still
his earliest: the _17 Lyrics by Li-Po_ -- my fave Li-Po song
is _A Midnight Farewell_.

> Johhny Reinhard's Raven - the whole album is excellent
> but if I had to pick two they'd be Circle and Dune

This is another great choice. My personal favorite is
_Raven_ ... but _Dune_ does show off Johnny's amazing
abilities as the "Hendrix of the Bassoon", as i like
to call him.

> Also La Monte Young and any Balinese gamelan you can
> get your hands on

The magnum opus from Young is _The Well-Tuned Piano_.
If you can get to NYC, spend a day at his Dream House,
and also try to catch Newband doing Partch in NJ.

-monz
http://tonalsoft.com
Tonescape microtonal music software

Thanks very much for the response, Keenan! :)

I'm at the UC San Diego music library, so I can try to find/listen
to them online! :)

Bill Flavell

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Keenan Pepper <keenanpepper@g...>
wrote:
>
> Bill Flavell wrote:
> > I was wondering where to start with my
> > alternative tunings musical listening.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
> >
> > Please be more specific than a particular
> > CD or record, and name the particular piece
> > or subsection of a particular piece.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
> > Bill Flavell
>
> Some of my favorites:
>
> Kronos Quartet's Early Music, particularly Uleg-Khem (with Tuvan
throat-singing
> in the harmonic series) and Two Studies on Ancient Greek Scales (by
Harry
> Partch; especially the second one in the enharmonic genus)
>
> Harry Partch's When Petals Fell in Petaluma
>
> Johhny Reinhard's Raven - the whole album is excellent but if I had
to pick two
> they'd be Circle and Dune
>
> Also La Monte Young and any Balinese gamelan you can get your hands
on
>
> Keenan Pepper
>

Thanks for the response, Monz! :)

Bill Flavell

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "monz" <monz@t...> wrote:
>
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Keenan Pepper <keenanpepper@g...>
wrote:
> >
> > Bill Flavell wrote:
> > > I was wondering where to start with my
> > > alternative tunings musical listening.
> > >
> > > Any suggestions?
> > >
> > > Please be more specific than a particular
> > > CD or record, and name the particular piece
> > > or subsection of a particular piece.
> > >
> > > Thanks.
> > >
> > >
> > > Bill Flavell
> >
> > Some of my favorites:
> >
> > Kronos Quartet's Early Music, particularly Uleg-Khem
> > (with Tuvan throat-singing in the harmonic series) and
> > Two Studies on Ancient Greek Scales (by Harry Partch;
> > especially the second one in the enharmonic genus)
>
>
> There's a great version of the Partch piece by John Schneider.
>
> Kronos has done quite a lot of microtonal music, including
> Ben Johnston's _4th Quartet_ and Terry Riley's _Salome
> Dances for Peace_ (which fills 2 CDs).
>
>
>
> > Harry Partch's When Petals Fell in Petaluma
>
>
> This is the Partch piece that i've also probably listened
> to the most. But think Partch's most evocative pieces are
> _U.S. Highball_ and _Barstow_, and my favorites are still
> his earliest: the _17 Lyrics by Li-Po_ -- my fave Li-Po song
> is _A Midnight Farewell_.
>
>
> > Johhny Reinhard's Raven - the whole album is excellent
> > but if I had to pick two they'd be Circle and Dune
>
>
> This is another great choice. My personal favorite is
> _Raven_ ... but _Dune_ does show off Johnny's amazing
> abilities as the "Hendrix of the Bassoon", as i like
> to call him.
>
>
> > Also La Monte Young and any Balinese gamelan you can
> > get your hands on
>
>
> The magnum opus from Young is _The Well-Tuned Piano_.
> If you can get to NYC, spend a day at his Dream House,
> and also try to catch Newband doing Partch in NJ.
>
>
>
> -monz
> http://tonalsoft.com
> Tonescape microtonal music software
>

Bill Flavell wrote:
> I was wondering where to start with my
> alternative tunings musical listening.
> > Any suggestions?
> > Please be more specific than a particular
> CD or record, and name the particular piece
> or subsection of a particular piece.
> My personal top 10 would have to include at least one track of Wendy Carlos' music and one from Easley Blackwood's microtonal etudes. "Beauty in the Beast" from the Wendy Carlos album of the same name, featuring the Alpha and Beta scales, would be a good one, although it's hard to pick a favorite. One of my favorites of Blackwood's etudes is the one in 20-note equal tuning (i.e., 20-ET or 20-EDO). But there are many other nice tracks on both these CD's.

Ben Johnston's "Suite for Microtonal Piano" is another good one, particularly the first movement, "Alarum", which features a harmonic series in C and some nice effective JI harmony. Something from Lou Harrison's "Cinna" would also be nice (say, the middle third movement; it's fairly short). Harry Partch's "Study on Archytas' Enharmonic" has been recorded a number of times, and it's a nice example of a memorable tune with small melodic steps (smaller than a semitone).

If you can find a copy of the old tuning (at) eartha.mills.edu CD, there are some good tracks on there; I especially like Ernie Crews' "Vilano" in 19-ET, and Gary Morrison's "New Awakening" in 88-CET (88-cent per step equal temperament). Neil Haverstick also has a good track on that CD, but probably my favorite of his would be "Mysteries" from his "Acoustic Stick" CD.

Let's see... something from one of William Sethares' CD's would also be essential to include... how about "Isochronism" from the "Exomusicology" CD. And as far as I know, Prent Rodgers doesn't have any CD's, but you can find his music at http://www.soundclick.com/prentrodgers. Lots of cool stuff on that page; if I had to pick one, I'll pick "Subduction Zone".

I guess that's 10. Well, that should be a good start; I can think of lots of other examples, but these are the first ones that came to mind.

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Bill Flavell" <bill_flavell@e...> wrote:
>
>
> I was wondering where to start with my
> alternative tunings musical listening.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Please be more specific than a particular
> CD or record, and name the particular piece
> or subsection of a particular piece.
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> Bill Flavell

Microtonal music always sounds "wrong" at first if you've been
listening to 12-equal only for a while. This sensation seems to
disappear after a few weeks of divorcing yourself from 12-equal, so be
patient.

I have a lot of CDs of traditional music from different parts of the
world, some of which is *extremely* microtonal. From Java to Georgia
(the country), the world abounds with non-12-equal tunings, each of
which sound "right" to members of the respective culture.

But a few favorite "Western Microtonal" moments:

"Hyperspace" by the Jon Catler Group on _Crash Landing_

The last few bars of the 19-note etude by Easley Blackwood on _12
Etudes for Microtonal Music Media_ or the CD _Microtonal_

Ben Johnston's String Quartet #5; don't think the particular recording
I have is commercially available

"Beauty in the Beast" by Wendy Carlos on _Beauty in the Beast_

There are some Partch moments I love but I'm not sure what pieces
they're from . . .

Also I have a 2-CD set of vocal music by Henk Badings called _Oh Oor O
Hoor_. I'm pretty sure the synth parts at least are in 31-equal, and
the vocals are quite beautiful (especially for an amateur choir). I've
had a hard time finding music by him.

----- Original Message -----
From: "wallyesterpaulrus" <wallyesterpaulrus@yahoo.com>
To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: 15 Aral�k 2005 Per�embe 23:42
Subject: [tuning] Re: "Top 10" Alternative Tuning Pieces/Sections of Pieces?

> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Bill Flavell" <bill_flavell@e...> wrote:
> >
> >

SNIP

>
> Microtonal music always sounds "wrong" at first if you've been
> listening to 12-equal only for a while. This sensation seems to
> disappear after a few weeks of divorcing yourself from 12-equal, so be
> patient.
>
> I have a lot of CDs of traditional music from different parts of the
> world, some of which is *extremely* microtonal. From Java to Georgia
> (the country), the world abounds with non-12-equal tunings, each of
> which sound "right" to members of the respective culture.
>

Exactly! That is why the onslaught of 12-edo must be checked, and
alternative educational methodologies formulated so that traditions can
survive. Conservative Arabs are as much complaining as conservative Turks
about the degeneration of our common musical culture. Westernization is to
blame for this.

Listen to a Tesbihat by the great imams of the Suleymaniye or Sultan Ahmed
mosques in Istanbul, and immerse yourselves in the heart-palpitating
microtonal haven of the maqamat.

> But a few favorite "Western Microtonal" moments:
>
> "Hyperspace" by the Jon Catler Group on _Crash Landing_
>
> The last few bars of the 19-note etude by Easley Blackwood on _12
> Etudes for Microtonal Music Media_ or the CD _Microtonal_
>
> Ben Johnston's String Quartet #5; don't think the particular recording
> I have is commercially available
>
> "Beauty in the Beast" by Wendy Carlos on _Beauty in the Beast_
>
> There are some Partch moments I love but I'm not sure what pieces
> they're from . . .
>
> Also I have a 2-CD set of vocal music by Henk Badings called _Oh Oor O
> Hoor_. I'm pretty sure the synth parts at least are in 31-equal, and
> the vocals are quite beautiful (especially for an amateur choir). I've
> had a hard time finding music by him.
>

Make room in that list for the masters of Traditional Turkish Music,
including Tanburi Cemil, Niyazi Sayin, Tanburi Necdet Yasar, Yorgo Bacanos,
et al.

Cordially,
Oz.

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Ozan Yarman" <ozanyarman@o...> wrote:
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "wallyesterpaulrus" <wallyesterpaulrus@y...>
> To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: 15 Aralýk 2005 Perþembe 23:42
> Subject: [tuning] Re: "Top 10" Alternative Tuning Pieces/Sections
of Pieces?
>
>
> > --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Bill Flavell" <bill_flavell@e...>
wrote:
> > >
> > >
>
> SNIP
>
> >
> > Microtonal music always sounds "wrong" at first if you've been
> > listening to 12-equal only for a while. This sensation seems to
> > disappear after a few weeks of divorcing yourself from 12-equal,
so be
> > patient.
> >
> > I have a lot of CDs of traditional music from different parts of
the
> > world, some of which is *extremely* microtonal. From Java to
Georgia
> > (the country), the world abounds with non-12-equal tunings, each
of
> > which sound "right" to members of the respective culture.
> >
>
>
> Exactly! That is why the onslaught of 12-edo must be checked, and
> alternative educational methodologies formulated so that traditions
can
> survive. Conservative Arabs are as much complaining as conservative
Turks
> about the degeneration of our common musical culture.
Westernization is to
> blame for this.
>
> Listen to a Tesbihat by the great imams of the Suleymaniye or
Sultan Ahmed
> mosques in Istanbul, and immerse yourselves in the heart-palpitating
> microtonal haven of the maqamat.
>
>
> > But a few favorite "Western Microtonal" moments:
> >
> > "Hyperspace" by the Jon Catler Group on _Crash Landing_
> >
> > The last few bars of the 19-note etude by Easley Blackwood on _12
> > Etudes for Microtonal Music Media_ or the CD _Microtonal_
> >
> > Ben Johnston's String Quartet #5; don't think the particular
recording
> > I have is commercially available
> >
> > "Beauty in the Beast" by Wendy Carlos on _Beauty in the Beast_
> >
> > There are some Partch moments I love but I'm not sure what pieces
> > they're from . . .
> >
> > Also I have a 2-CD set of vocal music by Henk Badings called _Oh
Oor O
> > Hoor_. I'm pretty sure the synth parts at least are in 31-equal,
and
> > the vocals are quite beautiful (especially for an amateur choir).
I've
> > had a hard time finding music by him.
> >
>
> Make room in that list for the masters of Traditional Turkish Music,
> including Tanburi Cemil, Niyazi Sayin, Tanburi Necdet Yasar, Yorgo
Bacanos,
> et al.

I'm sure this is the most subtle and rich microtonality of all. But
why would you consider this "Western microtonality" as opposed
to "Non-Western microtonality"?