[Smt-talk] Pieces with improvisatory openings

[JAY RAHN]

Linda Seltzer's alap instance is well taken. Among other well known non-European genres, the short introductory buka (also bubuka or bubuka opaq-opaq) in gamelan pieces and the taqsim of Arab classical music come to mind; within European tradition, preambulum/tastar de corda introductions from the 15th century onward. Establishing or testing out a movement's
 tuning or mode or introducing some of its motifs before its more clearly pulsatile main part has been pretty widespread. 

Arguably more interesting are passages in the middle of an instrumental piece that depart substantially from the more clearly metrical rhythms that precede and follow them: cadenzas, of course, as well as interjected recitatives and fermatas. 'Arguably more interesting' because according to a current view a pulsation is supposed to persist after the actual onsets it comprises. When, then, does a metre end? And after an interruption, does it start over 'from scratch' or resume? 

Jay Rahn, York University   



>________________________________
>From: Linda Seltzer <lseltzer at alumni.caltech.edu>
>To: smt-talk at societymusictheory.org
>Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 7:57:01 PM
>Subject: Re: [Smt-talk] Pieces with improvisatory openings
>
>That's how most Indian music works (improvisatory alap and other sections 
>- such as jor and jhala in North Indian music -  preceding composition -
>gat)
>
>Linda Seltzer
>Post-enrolled grad student, Princeton
>Independent consultant, Intellectual Ventures
>_______________________________________________
>Smt-talk mailing list
>Smt-talk at lists.societymusictheory.org
>http://lists.societymusictheory.org/listinfo.cgi/smt-talk-societymusictheory.org
>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.societymusictheory.org/pipermail/smt-talk-societymusictheory.org/attachments/20111024/399f7a27/attachment-0004.htm>