AW.: Re: AW.: Re: the word microtone

In einer Nachricht vom 12/1/99 4:25:29 PM (MEZ) Mitteleurop�ische
Zeitschreibt ppagano@bellsouth.net:

<< You
have chosen to honk your'e horns and never actually say
I would probably prefer ________________ instead of "microtone"
or" i still like the word 'Microtone' " whatever
>>

I thought I was clear enough. "Microtone" is fine to describe an interval
less than a semitone. But when you read either of the following contradictory
definitions

"I consider all music to be microtonal" (Johnny Reinhard)

or

"...the term "microtone" to include any interval of integrity that differs
from a strict 12-TET model.." (ibid)

the term is so broadened as to be meaningless.

In general, I prefer the term "tuning" (or "alternative tuning", when a
comparison is necessary) to describe our shared concern.

Pat, every so often a topic comes up on the list which has been thoroughly
pursued by members, only to reappear at a much later date, and starting off
again from scratch. I should be clearer-but forget that it is wrong to
assume that y'all will know what I mean if it's the first time for you on a
topic. This goes both for the "microtone" thread and the J.S. Bach tuning
discussion.

While in grad school at Columbia University I was asked to write 2 papers for
an M.Phil. on the way to a PhD in ethnomusicology (I already had an M.M. in
bassoon). Each paper was for a class that would then be expanded upon. They
were "Bach's Tuning" and "Phenomenology and Its Application to Microtonality."

The gist of the Bach paper is that 12TET was foreign to baroque Thuringia,
while Werckmeister was practically a friend of the Bach family. The "Bach's
Tuning" article (published in PITCH I:2) is the basis for the "Microtonal
Bach" radio show Mr. Sprague was so kind to mention. This paper was warmly
approved, however the phenomenology paper was deemed outside the realm of
ethnomusicology.

It turns out that I took the "wrong" position on phenomenology. I was
"supposed" to debunk Husserl and the earnest attempts he made at describing
difficult to describe phenomena. The topic was givien to me by my advisor
for he thought (correctly) that it would help focus and define the area that
was to be my life's work.

Phenomenology required meditation and a series of tools to apprehend a
particular phenomenon, in this case "microtonality." After 3 years, the most
profound result produced from my good-intentioned project was that there is a
big difference between "cross-cultural" descriptions and "culturally-based"
descriptions.

It's very difficult to be objective about this. If 12TET is considered
inevitable (as in a destiny) or as a universal (like the English language?)
then it will be hard to imagine12TET as 11-comma meantone, or tempered
Pythagorean, or tempered 5-limit Just Intonation, or evened-out Irregular
temperament, or simply a multiple division of the octave by the number 12.

From attempting to think and believe "cross-culturally" even 12TET is
microtonal since it is microtonally distinct from any "essence" of
microtonality. Essences (as opposed to "accidents") are what makes a
phenomenon a phenomenon. The overtone series is an essence, in this sense.
By slicing pitch to fit a temperament one is using "microtonal" skills at
100%.

This lead to "all music can be considered microtonal from a cross-cultural
perspective. Culturally, it is more limited to notes smaller than the dieses
of the system (namely, the semitone).

Oh, Egyptian Maqam uses a neutral third: is that not microtonal? Guess not,
according to Daniel speaking in "old Academese."

Johnny Reinhard
AFMM

Johnny
i appreciate the clarification. and i respect yr point of view. I do not get the
list in digest so i just pop in and comment on topics that sound interesting and
try to avoid the more heavy theory oriented stuff because frankly I am more
intersted in JI concerns, which I find a rather simple procedure to apply. It
seems that the conceptualities and phenomenologies is where things get a little
mixed up. So contrary to my original attitude towards commenting and condemning
all other opinions i simply have chosen to pick specific points to chat about and
the search for a new "word" is the portion i found interesting and did not mean to
lessen nor corrupt the discussion you and DWOlf were chatting through.

blessings and light to all
p.s. I would still love to send you some music someday to maybe be considered for
you're festival i have heard so much about
Pat