Harrison: "Bells"

Michael Harrison: "Bells" (1994) A work for piano tuned according to "just intonation".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• piano
• solo
• just
• intonation
• pure
• overtones
• microtones
• microtonal

[TheEarlOfDublin]

the tones are so vibrant and colorful

[GreggaryPeccary]

Wonderful sound!

So it's basically non-tempered, if I understand it correctly? One can't help but think what a violation of nature the well-tempered clavier is

[vibratingstring]

The very first chords are not perfectly just. There is about a 1 Hz beat going on...

[colourfulwithaU]

@GreggaryPeccary

I don't know if it's really a 'violation of nature'. Is it a violation of nature to wear a coat in the winter?

[TheJeddyB]

@frosty956 I personally think that the reason some intervals in different intonations sound, not necessarily incorrect, but extremely dissonant, is the same reason some intervals in equal temperament sound like that. It's just the way our brains interpret it, and no matter how much you try, I doubt you could get a song filled with minor seconds or microtonal clusters all over the place to sound happy and up-beat, it's just how our brain interprets the beating of the harmonies.

[hitohalan]

古典調律ってこんなにカッコいいんですね。　★人破乱：あも★

[kratanuva725]

@the81stviewer Thats when you break out one of these bad boys with 211 notes per octave.

watch?v=Jo1HenpSjFM&feature=re­lated

[frosty956]

@the81stviewer if an interval is right or wrong is pureley subjective. just intonation sounds 'wrong' only because we are so accustomed to hearing the modern tuning. There can be no real justification for anything in music other than 'it sounds good'. They only sound 'out of tune' because we arent used to it.

[clones98]

I enjoy Micheal's work - inspiring music!

[pyromohanzed]

Is this from a master tape?

[Stumpp3]

@GreggaryPeccary It's kind of funny phrasing it like that, around "natural", as if equal temperament is in any way 'natural' itself. Just at least aims for overtones, and clearer consonance than ET.

[the81stviewer]

Some intervals didn't sound right. They were too big or small, I won't say "out of tune" because in theory I suppose they weren't. But I have a question. What if you played a piece with complex key changes that all happen in the span of the work? Of course this is why just intonation comes into question, but what is; other than the "pure math"; the modern justification for this system? Pieces for equal temperament would sound out of tune, and vice versa. Sounds like a fight of principals to me.