source file: m1587.txt Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 10:14:04 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: TUNING digest 1586 From: Judith Conrad > From: Ascend11@aol.com > Subject: Emotional response upon first hearing harmonious polyphonic music I wrote: > to sound like, he reported, that they would immediately begin to drum along. > Sometimes, they would be so transported into ecstasies by the revelation of > his piano playing, that they would drum louder and louder -- sometimes to the > point where he could no longer HEAR his piano playing!" Dave Hill wrote: > Dame church in Paris. These reports spoke of people "shuddering > in the doorways" of the church awestruck by this new fuller sounding music > which was just starting to be performed. and Dave opined: > It seems to me that the fact that the Indians responded very > enthusiastically to the sounds of their music deepened by the > full harmonies of the piano is evidence which tends to support > the belief that although not all peoples have developed a > polyphonic music, there is something about full chordal harmony > in music which is naturally appealing to people everywhere and > which people will gladly incorporate into their music when they > have once experienced it. The funny thing is, I wasn't taking this at face value -- I found myself assuming that if the Indians really liked the piano harmonies on their music, they would have listened to it, rather thatn drumming so loudly that the piano could not be heard. I assumed they were trying to cover that awful sound up, and was amused at the missionary's pianocentric misinterpretation. The thirteenth century people 'shuddering in the doorways' of Notre Dame are open to the same kind of interpretation. Not that I don't love harmony and polyphony... Judy