Episode #2723
Revelation: Music Meet Math
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
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Michael Harrison (John Firman)
Guest Michael Harrison presents "Revelation," a major work for piano in the alternate tuning system known as "just intonation." Today, rather than referring to a specific historical tuning, "just intonation" represents an almost infinite variety of tunings which are based upon the principles of whole number ratios. (Like how an octave is a 2:1 ratio, where the higher note vibrates twice as fast as the lower note.) When certain complex ratios are used in "just intonation" -like the 64:63 ratio that Harrison has used in "Revelation" - the music shimmers with exotic resonance, or depending on your viewpoint, phase-shifts, beats, and bends unsettling tones between the notes of the scale that our Western ears might not be used to. On this new recording of "Revelation," Harrison uses his "harmonic piano," where it is possible to play 24 notes per octave. Just listen to the results on this New Sounds.
PROGRAM #2723, with Michael Harrison (First aired on Wed. 10-10-07)
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ARTIST(S) |
RECORDING |
CUT(S) |
SOURCE |
|
La Monte Young |
The Well-Tuned Piano |
The Gamelan Chord, excerpt [2:00] |
Grammavision 5 CD set, out of print. But see www.melafoundation.org for info |
|
Michael Harrison |
Revelation |
Homage to La Monte [5:30] Tone Cloud II [9:00] Carillon [6:30] Tone Cloud III [5:00] Finale [5:00] Tone Cloud IV, excerpt [2:00] |
Cantaloupe #21043* www.cantaloupemusic.com * |
Comments [4]
Jamie, if you want to read further about alternative tuning systems, a good place to start is the Just Intonation Network. http://www.justintonation.net/
Michael Harrison's piano is tuned to just one of the myriad forms of Just Intonation, but this website will give you some of the basics on these tunings.
Any suggestions about further reading on this topic?
this was interesting, i am studying math and music in school.
What an interesting way of tuning. Early last summer, I was exposed to a piano that was tuned without equal temperament. The only problem that I have with these alternate tunings is that it is playing havoc with my perfect pitch! Oh well, I'll just have to cope. Thanks for sharing this tuning system with us.
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