source file: mills2.txt Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 15:02:03 -0800 Subject: There was no pudding. From: "Jonathan M. Szanto" ****************************************** NOTE: The following contains no ratios, graphs, statistics, or numerical formulae. ****************************************** Listerines, Music can touch us in a number of ways, I imagine. In my case, I seem to react to a piece or performance in one (or both, preferably) of two ways: either it strikes me in a very visceral, possibly physical, context, or it finds a way to please my mind, be it the construct of the music, effects, masterful compositional technique. That music of many styles (and yes, many intonations) can have this effect is not surprising to most of us. My reflective side appreciates the subtle text settings and sinewy use of the scale in Partch's "The Street" or "The Rose" (Eleven Intrusions), and also finds (still) delight and emotional fulfillment in Elgar's "Enigma Variations". My more earthbound side continues to bounce to the big fun of "Exordium" from Partch's "Delusion of the Fury", and has a great time listening to the raw insistence of a former drum student, who now happens to be in a little band called Soundgarden (last week: live in SD, standing on stage 15 feet away from him - now *that's* corporeality!). When the two sides collide and become one experience, it pretty much transcends explanation. This little digression was a prelude to my thoughts on attending a concert of the Southern California Microtonal Group last week here in San Diego, with the performers being Jonathan Glasier, Brian McLaren, Jeff Stayton and Bill Wesley. I have known Jon for quite a while, though we don't cross paths often; he and I played together in the Partch Ensemble back in the '70's. Outside of offering support to a community I am at least partially involved, I was curious to see just what kind of music would bring Brian into the public eye. So many words had I read, so many opinions pondered, I just had to see/hear for myself what was what. I felt fortunate to sit with Dr. John (Chalmers), as his regal demeanor would help balance my usual adolescent enthusiasm. I sincerely hoped to be delighted, and to have one side or the other stimulated; I never expect to get both at once. I didn't expect to get neither. Not so much a concert as a non-lectured exhibition, the group, in varying combinations (only once more than a duo) proceeded to perform 14 improvisations (omitting two from the program). They ranged from pieces described as 'free intonation' (being largely done on non-tuned 'sound sculptures') to pieces in JI (23, 43), 17TET, 23TET, 19TET, and variants on the harmonic series. Various keyboards and original instruments, in addition to altered guitars and found objects, were used. The individual 'pieces' varied from about 5 minutes to, I don't know, 15-20 minutes; it became hard to tell. The overall effect ranged from the mildly curious and pleasant to mind-numbingly boring. This isn't easy to say, and of course it's just one human's opinion. That by the end of intermission more than half of the less-than-capacity crowd (about 40 people at it's peak) had left does speak to the lack of something to grab on to. I got worried when Dr. John got up, but he was just getting a better view of Bill's Nail Violin (a neat instrument!). In general, if these pieces were in the category of 'directed improvisation' (a basic scheme or plot to follow, with some freedom, I imagine) then it was not apparent, save for a few reiterated motives or melodicles. Almost entirely absent from the works was any sense of harmony: most all players played in single line melodic fashion, or block 'chord' (an admittedly awkward term to use with some of the more unique instruments) style, with all voices moving in parallel. I had truly hoped to hear some of the intricate and subtle harmonic wonderments of the many intonations paraded before us. It ended up not unlike wandering though a forest of Gary Kvistad's just-tuned Woodstock Chimes. One of the key tenets of improvisation (save for chaotic or chance improvisation) would seem to be that the players actually *listen* to each other, and possibly *react* to each other. Outside of Jon Glasier's soulful guitar and vocal work, most of the playing could very well have been these same people at home, alone in their rooms. Frequently, one would look over to another to (my guess) see if he was finished yet, or if it would go on for a while longer. Close to zero communication. At one point Brian did a solo piece, which involved coaxing sounds from a machined piece of aluminum alloy suspended from a cord, accompanied by a DAT of a CSound sound file. No flow, no interaction, no marvelous concordances (or discords) - just someone meditatively whonking and stroking a big hunk of metal, accompanied by a gradually evolving sound-field. A thought: John Cage might have been proud. Brian told me later that he had better performances of these pieces on tape, from earlier sessions; it is hard to imagine that it would make much difference. There was very little contrast from piece to piece, in spite of changes in scales and instrumentation (again, Glasier's influence seemed to have the most effect, and Wesley did have his moments on his instruments - though they went on far too long). There was nothing, certainly to a listener *new* to alternate tunings, that would point the ear in a direction of "Yes, *that* sounds attractive (or powerful, or...). No, they just were more piles of smaller and larger intervals, wafting about in a non-existent breeze. Had there been either fully realized melodies that could have only bloomed in a particular scale, or (more that I hoped for) a rendering of some of the harmonic avenues completely unavailable in 12TET, the evening would have been memorable and positive. I left disheartened, at least in that respect. And as for building an audience (or even appealing to the few that care about these matters), it won't ever happen by sheer ratios alone: there was virtually no dynamic range expressed (even though I know the instruments were capable of it), no *real physical* playing (much of the action carried all the excitement of a data entry clerk typing away), pretty much none of *all the other things* that go into making a musical experience musical (what a value judgement...); and yet, you didn't get the idea that it was about a meditative, constant place. It could have been an off night, there might have been details we don't know about; so many things. None of this review is said in spite, and I think the performers were sincere in their efforts. I am an eternal optimist (just _one_ reason I stayed to the end), and I won't say that Brian McLaren (or the others) can't or hasn't come up with some music that might change the course of temperament and/or Western music. I know that a few people on the list seemed curious as to just what his involvement in music was like. Coming from a person like Brian, who is so free with his opinions on other's performances and compositional ideals, and so ardent in his beliefs as to how things should be, it was a fair bit of a surprise to find so little substance. It was stunning to hear him say (maybe in jest?), referring to the harmonic-series pieces, that "there weren't any wrong notes". That thought, coupled with his use of an arpeggiator to mechanically noodle through an homage to Augusto Novarro's 23-tone just scale, did me in. I had looked forward to the concert, half-expecting to be blown away; after all, the proof is in the pudding. Oh well... Then, to add insult to malaise, I have to spend this week accompanying Robert Goulet in "Man of La Mancha" (mortgage payments, you know...); the cast is apparently using some variant of 57TET. I can't trust my ears - maybe Chalmers will help me out on this one. Til the next microtonal concert happens in San Diego... Your intrepid reporter, Rusty Cochlea *------------------------------------------------------------------* Jonathan M. Szanto | A hobo, in cyberspace, no less . . . . . . . Corporeal Meadows | . . . . . . . . Partch awaits in the Meadows jszanto@adnc.com | http://www.adnc.com/web/jszanto/welcome.html *------------------------------------------------------------------* Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Sat, 14 Dec 1996 09:15 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA04037; Sat, 14 Dec 1996 09:17:39 +0100 Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA04035 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id AAA24240; Sat, 14 Dec 1996 00:17:36 -0800 Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 00:17:36 -0800 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu