source file: mills2.txt Date: Fri, 27 Dec 1996 16:16:25 -0800 Subject: Re: Toronto Microtonality From: Johnny Reinhard After a terrific week in Toronto, participating in a Critical Band concert on Dec. 14th, directed by composer John Gzowski, it is perhaps a good time to put together some reactions for the list. Was there a discernible Toronto "style" of microtonal music? I think so, in an admittedly general sense. Listening to composer and Musicworks editor Gayle Young's string quartet on a Musicworks CD crystalized for me what all the music has had in common. Perhaps it is ultimately the influence of composer James Tenney (formerly of the U.S. Southwest) that bring just intonation aesthetics to the fore. Jim Tenney worked with both Partch and Varese and has imbued younger Torontoans with an appreciation for just intervals, while encouraging each to compose in their own voice. To his credit, Jim came to the concert and to the demonstration the following day, now with his daughter. At that time he presented me with a score to his just intonation wind quintet "Spectrum 2" and with a CD of his just intonation piano quartet. John Gzowski comes to music from a jazz/rock tradition and I had the opportunity to rock out with his rock band on my last night in the city. Guitar led John to 19ET and finally to elaborate chamber works in both 31-ET and JI for a "2 by 4" (which made its debut at the concert, and sings electrically in rich low harmonic sounds, but with a bounce). I found his music well thought out and deeply philosophical, and allowing ample room for improvisational instincts. John was joined by Garnet Willis who vocalized, percussed, and let loose his "Clusterflux" which is an artifically intelligent magnet/electric standalone that I jammed with on bassoon. It responded to my tiny glisses like a person. It is also Tenney influeced, as well as Lucier influenced. He also wrote an exciting piece for English violinst Becky van der Post and himself at a piano retuned to a subset of 31ET. Adapted violist (a real beaut, probably better sounding than Harry's) Marc Sabat played with full command and sensitivity in the 6 Li Po that I intoned. His solo was for an electronic violin which droned and shook off colors of pitch. In addition he played in all the larger chamber works written by John Gzowski and it was indeed a pleasure to be with so many literate microtonalists that could play richly and with excitement. Margaret Gay at the cello gushed harmonics and the inimitable Rick Sacks sparkled throughout the evening with a myriad of percussion variegation. >From these, and other musical interactions, I get this glacial sense with Toronto's microtonal music, as if microtones had a sense of esteem that preseumesa sure footing in presentation. While there is little melodic musicle flexing or even rhythmic alternations, there is a serenity in the production and a confidence in the employment of the materials. There is almost a gamelan effect regardless of the person involved. This seems all the more so after hearing Andrew Timar's Toronto Gamelan group -- The Evergreen club -- ironically busier than most other gamelan groups I have heard. Toronto's music is much more supported by the Federal Government in Ottawa thanI had imagined. Additionally, it is quite a beautiful thing that the Northern hemisphere's pre-eminent New Music publication - Musicworks - presents CDs with each issue, encourages microtonalisms, and is open to outside creative forces. E-mail Gayle Young at sound@musicworks.web.net for information on receiving Musicworks and its accompanying CD. Johnny Reinhard Director American Festival of Microtonal Music 318 East 70th Street, Suite 5FW New York, New York 10021 USA (212)517-3550/fax (212) 517-5495 reinhard@ios.com Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Sat, 28 Dec 1996 12:58 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA04080; Sat, 28 Dec 1996 13:01:06 +0100 Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA04073 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id EAA01746; Sat, 28 Dec 1996 04:01:03 -0800 Date: Sat, 28 Dec 1996 04:01:03 -0800 Message-Id: <199612280700_MC2-E00-70F0@compuserve.com> Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu