From: mclaren
Subject: 1996 summer concert series
of the Southern California Microtonal Group
--
On Thursday 8 May 1996 the Southern California
Microtonal Group gave a concert at the Wikiup Cafe,
San Diego's premier locale for new music.
First on the program was my metal bar concert piece
number one. This composition uses timbres which
match the non-just non-equal-tempered tuning of
number one. This composition uses timbres which
match the non-just non-equal-tempered tuning of
the vibrational modes of a metal bar free to vibrate
at both ends. During the performance a 2-meter-long
metal bar is suspended from a nylon string and stroked,
tapped, gonged and whanged to obtain a wide variety
of n-j n-e-t timbres. The bar is moved between two
widely-spaced stereo mikes while a computer-generated
backing track plays; it is often difficult to tell which
are the constantly-changing Csound timbres and which
are the constantly-moving live acoustic partials.
The second piece showcased Bill Wesley's array guitar
juxtaposed against the wing, a triangle of space alloy
suspended atop a balloon and bowed to produce unearthly
sounds. A conga drum, played by curlicuing a superball
against the drumhead, added eerie moans and
chtonic grumbles.
The third piece featured piano and strings in a duet in
a Medieval arabic tuning.
The third piece featured piano and strings in a duet in
a Medieval arabic tuning.
The fourth piece on the concert: a duet in the Greek
enharmonic tuning between the TS-10 synthesizer (strings,
harp, piano) and Bill Wesley's array m'bira.
The fifth piece combined an algorithmically-generated
19-tone backing track with the cona drum, the waterphone,
and Bill Wesley on the MIDI theremin (AKA Dimension
Beam).
The sixth piece was the first performance of a microconcerto
for megalyra and MIDI orchestra.
The seventh and last piece was a trio for Tom Nunn's T-rodimba
electroacoustic percussion board, the conga drum and Bill
Wesley's nail violin (a set of heavy-duty construction nails pounded
into a resonant box & stroked by a performer whose fingertips are
covered with violin bow rosin).
This event proved noteworthy insofar as it was the first live
performance to include not only compositions in all three basic
classes of tuning--equal temperament, just intonation and
performance to include not only compositions in all three basic
classes of tuning--equal temperament, just intonation and
non-just non-equal-tempered--but also the first to include a
piece using all 3 types of tunings simultaneously.
As always, a recording was made of both rehearsal and live
performances and a compilation tape is now being edited.
--mclaren
