source file: mills2.txt Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 11:25:49 -0800 Subject: Re: Limits: Try Bulgarian From: Johnny Reinhard I'd like to tell y'all about a fantastic recording: _Welkya_ featuring the Theodosh Spassov Ensemble, featuring Mr. Spassov on kaval. His ensemble features his wife's vocals, a gadulka, bagpipes, tamboura, bass, and percussion. This Sofia-based ensemble virtuosically surfs the line between composition and improvisation. Stylistically they bounce from Bulgarian folk, jazz, classical, avante-gard, experimental, while remaining microtonal throughout. The music "sounds" improvised throughout except for one thing...the rhythmic timing is too complex for the music to not have been composed aforehand. The youthful looking Spassov has an audio cassette on the Gega lablel (GC 541). I have no idea how to get a copy. (A great friend brought it back from her home in Sofia because she knows my musical taste. I must have listened to it 50 times and I have played it for people as part of my top 10. The kaval sometimes sounds like flute, sometimes as a clarinet. The intonation is remarkable for its surety and for its seeming exoticness. Yet, there seems to room for doubt that Spassov and Co. are brilliant musicians playing music at its most vital. This single tape if music written and arranged by Spassov is composed -- yet it completely simulates improvisation. This is exciting stuff. I doubt there is a defined set of tones used, though it is clear that players use the same pallette. If I could afford the time and money I would be out there now. It's in the plans. If you have loved the harmonically rich singing of Bulgarian women choruses, you'll love this. Somehow I don't see any burning need to analyze what they are indeed doing, microtonally speaking. When I go out there to work with the musicians I many have a better idea of their tuning aesthetic. It's kick-ass music in the best sense of this list. 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; Sun, 12 Jan 1997 20:35 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA32691; Sun, 12 Jan 1997 20:38:56 +0100 Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA32667 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id LAA21580; Sun, 12 Jan 1997 11:38:54 -0800 Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 11:38:54 -0800 Message-Id: <199701121935.OAA04992@copland.udel.edu> Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu