Charles Ives: 3 Quarter-Tone Pieces (1924) - II. Allegro

The piano on the left is tuned one-quarter tone down, providing notes in-between the notes of the normally tuned piano. Performed by the Paratore brothers.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ives
• piano
• music
• classical

[Wex1117]

I think one of the pianos is actually tuned half a step flat despite what the description says. If you tried to tune a piano sharp, it would destroy the piano because the pressure is too great.

[BofferBings]

@Wex1117

Yes, you are right. I mis-read the explanation of what was done. The normally tuned piano is one-quarter tone sharp in relation to the re-tuned piano on the left. I made the correction.

[drgabrielsoileau]

Twisted Ice cream truck music?

[colourfulwithaU]

@creavtveheart68

The fact that you're too used to the manufactured and very limited 12ET system doesn't mean this is "absolute trash". Can you not handle the fact that some people find something you don't like beautiful?

Differing opinions: they exist.

[TheMusoguy9981]

You would have to appreciate the difficulty in writing and performing such an interesting piece. To my ears personally, I can't say it's something I would listen to often though. However, I do like quarter and micro tones in non western flavored music. To me, it doesn't sound right on a piano where it is hard to resolve and harmonize with. I like the concept of using these tones on stringed instruments more, where you can bend, slide and resolve especially on single note lines. Just sayin' ;)

[alexandergreenb]

@alexandergreenb In short, ugly is not beautiful to me, but sometimes I find beauty utterly banal and uninteresting.

[alexandergreenb]

@TheGuyFromThatMovie I get bored listening to "common practice" music, too, and would often prefer to listen to so-called atonal music or music not using traditional tonal arrangements. But I think there's a difference between the concept of "good art" and the concept of "beauty." Many of the pieces of art I consider most compelling and most interesting I wouldn't consider beautiful.

[TheGuyFromThatMovie]

@TheDaniel7430 yeah, because 75,000 people and counting on YT is "no one."

[TheGuyFromThatMovie]

@alexandergreenb these three pieces aren't "atonal." They're quite tonal. The fact that the two instruments are tuned a 1/4 tone apart doesn't change that. Also, "we?" Speak for yourself, man. Aside from a few composers, I get bored listening to "common practice" music. "Ugly" is beautiful to me. Finally, this music was experimental in 1924.

[lovelookshard]

like this if you're here because of music class.

[alexandergreenb]

@alexandergreenb as beautiful

[alexandergreenb]

While I'm not at all opposed to this kind of experimental music and really do love it, I'd be interested in taking seriously the fact that almost every "traditional" scale - arabic, modal, diatonic, etc. - will sound /beautiful/ to most listeners if given enough time and/or the right piece of music. I don't think that will ever happen with these "atonal" pieces, no matter how much we're exposed to them. I just don't think we can describe them as beautiful, just like you can't describe S. Beckett

[TheDaniel7430]

This is trash. There's a reason no one listens to this creavtveheart68... Mmmmm

[ettercapny]

My brain hurts!