back to list

Streaming audio of music composed with nontraditional tunings

🔗Jake Freivald <jdfreivald@...>

12/28/2010 11:07:32 AM

WQXR is one of the NYC-area public radio stations.

This episode of _All Ears with Terrance McKnight_:
http://www.wqxr.org/programs/allears/2010/mar/27/
...begins with a recording of Harry Partch's "Two Studies on Ancient Greek Scales".

I have to say, those are wonderful pieces of music.

There's apparently more work with nontraditional tunings here:
http://www.wqxr.org/programs/allears/2010/aug/28/
I say that without having listened to the program yet. The notes say that composer Annie "Gosfield... requires the pianist and cellist to detune their instruments very specifically and precisely to perform her work, which was written in 1997." Also in the same program is Lou Harrison's Suite for Cello and Harp, but I don't know whether that's in a standard tuning or not; the notes just say that Harrison is "no stranger to non-traditional tunings". Finally, it includes "Michael Harrison's Night Vigil for harmonic piano <http://www.michaelharrison.com/harmonic-piano.html>, a seven-foot grand Harrison altered in order to facilitate alternative tunings."

Regards,
Jake