BEM 10 - Institut für Elektronische Musik und Akustik - IEM

POTATO SACKS, KAKIFRUITS AND C5 ENVELOPES (ABSTRACT)
THE OBJECT OF THIS PUBLICATION IS TO GIVE AN OVERALL VIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF
TUNING SYSTEMS WITHIN THE TRADITION OF EUROPEAN CLASSICAL MUSIC. THE AUTHOR´S
INTENTION WAS TO WRITE A BOOK BOTH COMPREHENSIVE AND PRACTICAL FOR APPLICATION.
THE GENERAL IDEA WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO THE AUTHOR THAN THE VERY SPECIFIC DETAILS.
THIS PUBLICATION IS NOT INTENDED FOR THE SPECIALIST OF A SPECIFIC TUNING SYSTEM, BUT IS
DESIGNED AS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC OF TUNING SYSTEMS. IT SHOULD ALSO BE
APPLICABLE AS A REFERENCE WORK , BOTH FOR THE MUSICIAN INTERESTED IN TUNING AND FOR
THE SCIENTIST.
TO MAKE THIS PUBLICATION EVEN MORE USER FRIENDLY TWO CHAPTERS WERE PREFIXED WHICH
GIVE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF BASIC TERMS. CHAPTER 1 EXPLAINS MATHEMATICAL AND
ACOUSTICAL BASICS NECESSARY FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE FOLLOWING AND CHAPTER 2
GIVES A SHORT OVERVIEW OF HISTORICAL CHANGES OF THE REFERENCE PITCH.
THIS WORK IS ORGANIZED HISTORICALLY. IT IS DIVIDED INTO CHAPTERS WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE
THEORY OF THE RESPECTIVE ERA AND CHAPTERS WHICH DESCRIBE THE HISTORICAL TUNING
PRACTICE.
THE SAMPLE CDS SHOULD FACILITATE THE ENTRANCE INTO OTHER SOUND WORLDS AND SHOULD
SERVE AS A REFERENCE FOR OWN TUNING ATTEMPTS. JOHN CAGE FORMULATED THE MOST
IMPORTANT AIM OF THIS WORK VERY APTLY: HAPPY NEW EARS.
11