Eeeew. ----- Original Message ----- From: Daniel Winheld <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 12:40 am Subject: [LUTE] Re: tuning fork at 433Hz? To: EUGENE BRAIG IV <[email protected]> Cc: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
> When did they change from gut saws? > > On Jan 10, 2012, at 1:49 PM, EUGENE BRAIG IV wrote: > > > Alright, traveling more and more remotely to the original > discussion, but Crumb is wacky. I think it's interesting > that "Ancient Voices..." makes such frequent appearances in > music appreciation and history courses in North America just > because it is so wacky. I don't know if other "sonorists" > serve as more frequent examples off the continent. I've > actually performed "Ancient Voices..." several times. It > calls for a pianist to play toy piano, boy soprano singing > softly off stage or singing directly into the frame of a piano, > all performers periodically shouting, etc. > > > > In addition to mandolin (with one string of each course > detuned 1/4 step and sometimes played "bottleneck" style with a > slide), the mandolinist is called upon to play the musical saw > with a cello bow. One mandolinist friend complained about > cutting himself in prepping for a performance. Another > mandolinist friend retorted "I have a bit of advice. Play > the side without the teeth!" Personally, I don't believe I > ever got close to the pitches notated for saw. The best I > could do is generally follow the "melody" up or down. > Bowed saw isn't much like any lutey kin. > > > > Eugene > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Christopher Wilke <[email protected]> > > Date: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 3:43 pm > > Subject: [LUTE] Re: tuning fork at 433Hz? > > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, EUGENE > BRAIG IV <[email protected]> > > > >> Eugene, > >> > >> --- On Tue, 1/10/12, EUGENE BRAIG IV <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > >>> In the song cycle "Ancient > >>> Voices of Children", George Crumb asks > >>> the mandolin be played with a > >>> metal paper clip in stead of a plectrum > >>> of more typical material: > >>> plastics, tortoiseshell, etc. His > >>> intent was to generate as sharply > >>> metallic a sound as possible. > >> > >> Getting off topic here, but it's fun anyway. Crumb is a very > >> interesting composer with an obsession for timbre and special > >> effects. In "Songs, Drones and Refrains of Death," he > >> calls outrageous techniques, like calling for the > percussionist > >> to beat on the strings of both the electric guitar and the > >> acoustic bass with soft mallets. At various points, all > of > >> the instrumentalists have to whisper, speak, sing, hum and > >> shout. The electric guitarist also has to double on jaw > >> harp. At one point, the singer, using a megaphone, must > >> vocalize into a piano while the pianist depresses the pedal, > >> creating sympathetic resonance. The pianist also > doubles > >> on amplified harpsichord. I performed this piece a few > >> times. Quite a lot of fun. > >> > >> There is a whole school of mostly Eastern European composers > >> active after WWII that make much use of similar > effects. > >> The label that has been applied to them is "sonorist". > >> Zbigniew Granat, my colleague at Nazareth College where I > teach, > >> is an expert in the study of these composers. > >> > >> Chris > >> > >> > >> Christopher Wilke D.M.A. > >> Lutenist, Guitarist and Composer > >> www.christopherwilke.com > >> > >> > >> > >> To get on or off this list see list information at > >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > > >
