Daniel Forro

/tuning/topicId_78623.html#78650

Wow...Mr. Forro, I somehow missed your entrance onto the scene here--I
was ducking out and taking a break and getting busy elsewhere while
you were ducking in, but I'm glad I did some back searching of who you
are based on recent posts---your music is vivid and inspirational!

Looking foward to perusing your soundclick page some more...

All best,
Aaron.

http://www.akjmusic.com
http://www.untwelve.org

yeah, just listened to 7 microtonal studies.

a pleasure.

nice variety--each piece a distinct thing.

nice sense of building

hocketing/polyrhythms a pleasure

electronic orchestration very good, no b.s.

I especially liked the one around...um...5:40-ish Precision hi-tech gamelan with a little jig in it....

the one at 3:30-ish reminded of Monster Nancarrow--polyrhythmic out-of-tune manic triads with Frankenstein on organ in background summing up the whole thing...

well done, sir, Meesta Forro

What are the basics of the scales/tunings?

caleb

On Nov 20, 2008, at 10:51 PM, Aaron Krister Johnson wrote:

>
> /tuning/topicId_78623.html#78650
>
> Wow...Mr. Forro, I somehow missed your entrance onto the scene here--I
> was ducking out and taking a break and getting busy elsewhere while
> you were ducking in, but I'm glad I did some back searching of who you
> are based on recent posts---your music is vivid and inspirational!
>
> Looking foward to perusing your soundclick page some more...
>
> All best,
> Aaron.
>
> http://www.akjmusic.com
> http://www.untwelve.org
>
>
>

Hi, Caleb,

thanks for your message. Here is description:

This work was created as completely free improvisation in real time, recorded from zero into MIDI sequencer, without any post recording editing. The only prepared parameters were tuning, sounds and DSP setting in synthesizer (Yamaha XG tone generator MU128), basic character of movements and length - every piece has 1 minute.

Concerning tunings, main idea was to use ET closed in octave and add more and more steps - 5, 8, 11, 17, 26, 38 and 53 (I selected these to avoid commonly used tunings like 19, 24, 31...). Listener can hear this process, can get used to more dense tone terrain, so this work can serve as a training for listeners of microtonal works. :-) All those tunings start from C.

Because of limitation in microtones in XG standard (which allows only -64/+63 C detuning) it was necessary to use more MIDI channels for tunings with more tones in octave than 12. I could play always only one of these subsets in real time on the MIDI keyboard, not all tones were to disposal, but this was no problem with selected method of total improvisation. Of course I could hear previously recorded tracks and react and interact to them. It was even certain advantage, as keyboard could be played in a usual way, and I could create some characteristic motifs in the frame of subsets. To enable this I distributed tones among more MIDI channels as equally as possible to get as much tones of scale on every used MIDI channel. For example in 17 ET has each subset 9 tones, differently tuned, and tone C without detuning is on both channels.
Using more MIDI channels with same sounds just for getting more tones in octave limited possible number of layers.

Study 1 - slendro tuning inspired me to play quasi-gamelan music, with respective sounds: bonang, gender, gamelan, gamelimba and atarigane (that one is Japanese, sorry)

Study 2 - flute sounds - Pan Flutes, bottle, shakuhachi and kawala.

Study 3 - with percussive/plucked character thanks to cimbalon, santur and rebab. Typical element is repeated note.

Study 4 - expressive and dramatically concertant structure, in piano (2 layers) and pipe organ (2 layers).

Study 5 - combines vocal (3 channels) and strings (3 channels), in result there are long glissandi of clusters in different directions.

Study 6 - vibrafon (4 layers) and marimba (4 layers). Thanks to the opportunity to record 8 different parts there's a rich texture, not rhythmically boring, despite the fact that only complementary motoric rhythm was used.

Study 7 - fast harp glissandos in 5 layers, against it long sustained declining melody in "unison" of three other instruments (each of them uses different subsets of 53 ET).

Very small problem was to solve approximation of some tunings (to get octave). I distributed different steps as equally as possible.
- 11 ET (step 109 Cents) = 10 times 109, 1 times 110 Cents
- 17 ET (step 70.6 C) = 10 times 71, 7 times 70
- 26 ET (step 46.15 C) = 24 times 46, 2 times 48
- 38 ET (step 31.58 C) = 17 times 31, 20 times 32, 1 times 33
- 53 ET (step 22.6 C) = 19 times 22, 34 times 23

If somebody is interested, I can send tables how notes were divided among channels and detuned.

At my live concerts I use this music as accompaniment for another improvisation on synthesizers which adds more sounds.

Please enjoy!

Daniel Forro

On 21 Nov 2008, at 10:52 PM, caleb morgan wrote:

>
> yeah, just listened to 7 microtonal studies.
>
> a pleasure.
>
> nice variety--each piece a distinct thing.
>
> nice sense of building
>
> hocketing/polyrhythms a pleasure
>
> electronic orchestration very good, no b.s.
>
> I especially liked the one around...um...5:40-ish Precision hi-> tech gamelan with a little jig in it....
>
> the one at 3:30-ish reminded of Monster Nancarrow--polyrhythmic out-> of-tune manic triads with Frankenstein on organ in background > summing up the whole thing...
>
>
> well done, sir, Meesta Forro
>
> What are the basics of the scales/tunings?
>
> caleb
>

Dear Mr. Johnson,

thanks for your interest, listening my music and kind words about it. I'm looking forward to hear your works on your pages, thanks for writing your links!

We have some common things: keyboards performing (pipe organ - you must be very happy with that Wurlitzer), Ars subtilior - Mattheo da Perusio Le greygnour bien (I did my version years ago and performed it often), improvisation, incidental music (I did Peer Gynt in 1985, totally over 100 music for theatre), little daughter :-) and of course microtones. Great to meet people with similar passions.

Have a nice day!

Daniel Forro

On 21 Nov 2008, at 12:51 PM, Aaron Krister Johnson wrote:

>
> /tuning/topicId_78623.html#78650
>
> Wow...Mr. Forro, I somehow missed your entrance onto the scene here--I
> was ducking out and taking a break and getting busy elsewhere while
> you were ducking in, but I'm glad I did some back searching of who you
> are based on recent posts---your music is vivid and inspirational!
>
> Looking foward to perusing your soundclick page some more...
>
> All best,
> Aaron.
>
> http://www.akjmusic.com
> http://www.untwelve.org
>

Hey, which microtonal piece of yours should I listen to next, after the 7 Microtonal Studies?

I'll probably get to everything of yours, but I wanted to start with the microtonal stuff.

Thanks for the detailed description of your pieces, I intend to re-read this soon--ask you some questions.

caleb

On Nov 21, 2008, at 10:58 AM, Daniel Forro wrote:

> Hi, Caleb,
>
> thanks for your message. Here is description:
>
> This work was created as completely free improvisation in real time,
> recorded from zero into MIDI sequencer, without any post recording
> editing. The only prepared parameters were tuning, sounds and DSP
> setting in synthesizer (Yamaha XG tone generator MU128), basic
> character of movements and length - every piece has 1 minute.
>
> Concerning tunings, main idea was to use ET closed in octave and add
> more and more steps - 5, 8, 11, 17, 26, 38 and 53 (I selected these
> to avoid commonly used tunings like 19, 24, 31...). Listener can hear
> this process, can get used to more dense tone terrain, so this work
> can serve as a training for listeners of microtonal works. :-) All
> those tunings start from C.
>
> Because of limitation in microtones in XG standard (which allows only
> -64/+63 C detuning) it was necessary to use more MIDI channels for
> tunings with more tones in octave than 12. I could play always only
> one of these subsets in real time on the MIDI keyboard, not all tones
> were to disposal, but this was no problem with selected method of
> total improvisation. Of course I could hear previously recorded
> tracks and react and interact to them. It was even certain advantage,
> as keyboard could be played in a usual way, and I could create some
> characteristic motifs in the frame of subsets. To enable this I
> distributed tones among more MIDI channels as equally as possible to
> get as much tones of scale on every used MIDI channel. For example in
> 17 ET has each subset 9 tones, differently tuned, and tone C without
> detuning is on both channels.
> Using more MIDI channels with same sounds just for getting more tones
> in octave limited possible number of layers.
>
> Study 1 - slendro tuning inspired me to play quasi-gamelan music,
> with respective sounds: bonang, gender, gamelan, gamelimba and
> atarigane (that one is Japanese, sorry)
>
> Study 2 - flute sounds - Pan Flutes, bottle, shakuhachi and kawala.
>
> Study 3 - with percussive/plucked character thanks to cimbalon,
> santur and rebab. Typical element is repeated note.
>
> Study 4 - expressive and dramatically concertant structure, in piano
> (2 layers) and pipe organ (2 layers).
>
> Study 5 - combines vocal (3 channels) and strings (3 channels), in
> result there are long glissandi of clusters in different directions.
>
> Study 6 - vibrafon (4 layers) and marimba (4 layers). Thanks to the
> opportunity to record 8 different parts there's a rich texture, not
> rhythmically boring, despite the fact that only complementary motoric
> rhythm was used.
>
> Study 7 - fast harp glissandos in 5 layers, against it long sustained
> declining melody in "unison" of three other instruments (each of them
> uses different subsets of 53 ET).
>
> Very small problem was to solve approximation of some tunings (to get
> octave). I distributed different steps as equally as possible.
> - 11 ET (step 109 Cents) = 10 times 109, 1 times 110 Cents
> - 17 ET (step 70.6 C) = 10 times 71, 7 times 70
> - 26 ET (step 46.15 C) = 24 times 46, 2 times 48
> - 38 ET (step 31.58 C) = 17 times 31, 20 times 32, 1 times 33
> - 53 ET (step 22.6 C) = 19 times 22, 34 times 23
>
> If somebody is interested, I can send tables how notes were divided
> among channels and detuned.
>
> At my live concerts I use this music as accompaniment for another
> improvisation on synthesizers which adds more sounds.
>
> Please enjoy!
>
> Daniel Forro
>
> On 21 Nov 2008, at 10:52 PM, caleb morgan wrote:
>
> >
> > yeah, just listened to 7 microtonal studies.
> >
> > a pleasure.
> >
> > nice variety--each piece a distinct thing.
> >
> > nice sense of building
> >
> > hocketing/polyrhythms a pleasure
> >
> > electronic orchestration very good, no b.s.
> >
> > I especially liked the one around...um...5:40-ish Precision hi-
> > tech gamelan with a little jig in it....
> >
> > the one at 3:30-ish reminded of Monster Nancarrow--polyrhythmic out-
> > of-tune manic triads with Frankenstein on organ in background
> > summing up the whole thing...
> >
> >
> > well done, sir, Meesta Forro
> >
> > What are the basics of the scales/tunings?
> >
> > caleb
> >
>
>

Thanks for your interest. Here is direct link to some of them:

Euphony I: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=2386664

Euphony II: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=4520464

Cosmopolitan Music: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=4522646

Moravian Meditation: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=4522821

Orbis Fictus: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=4522832

Preludio Metallico: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=4523534

Musica ex machina: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=4523941

Ekmelic Music 1: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=4622236

Musica per Piazza nel campo: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=5041820

Fudoo Myoo e no inori: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=2386392

Syntphonies part 1: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=4520390

Syntphonies part 2: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=4520370

and this one you know:
[Seven Microtonal Studies: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=2386820]

I will dig out more later...

Enjoy!

Daniel Forro

P.S.: Maybe description I did here was OT, I realized there's another tuning group more about composing...

On 23 Nov 2008, at 6:01 AM, caleb morgan wrote:

>
> Hey, which microtonal piece of yours should I listen to next, after > the 7 Microtonal Studies?
>
> I'll probably get to everything of yours, but I wanted to start > with the microtonal stuff.
>
> Thanks for the detailed description of your pieces, I intend to re-> read this soon--ask you some questions.
>
> caleb