Literatura académica sobre el tema "Music Tuning. Wind instruments Wind instruments Intonation (Musical pitch)"

In the first of two experiments, subjects ( N = 137) were band students with 1, 2, 3, or 4 years of formal instrumental performance experience. Subjects tuned to a single prerecorded tuning pitch and subsequently played along with a prerecorded four-measure melody. Direction and magnitude of pitch deviation were analyzed for the single tuning pitch and four selected target pitches within the melody. Responses to the tuning pitch were more accurate than for the melodic pitches. There was a high positive correlation among the four melodic pitches, but a low positive correlation between the melodic pitches and tuning pitch. In a second experiment, high school musicians ( N = 167) played along with the same prerecorded melody after either (a) tuning their instrument to a single pitch, (b) receiving verbal instructions to perform “in tune,” or (c) receiving no information. No differences were observed among the three conditions. Students who first tuned to a single pitch were more accurate at this task than at melodic performance. A high correlation was observed among melodic pitches but not between melodic and tuning pitches. Across both experiments, subjects erred most often in the sharp direction; a stronger tendency toward sharp errors was noted among more experienced students. Performance accuracy was observed to improve with experience.

Background. The article deals with the interaction of the constructive evolution of the instrument and the development of bassoon performing of the 16–17 centuries. The aesthetics of that time was associated with the search for new expressive means, realization of which could be ensured by new instruments with rich and expressive sound. One of such instruments is bassoon; it was during the Baroque era when the bassoon took its shape and the sound image we know today. Thanks to technical evolution, the instrument acquired new artistic capabilities and new sound quality. A new repertoire was formed; bassoon became the part of such instrumental genres as sonata and concerto, it was firmly fixed in the score of the symphony orchestra. In music science, there are a number of studies devoted to wind instruments, the most significant of which are researches by G. Abadzhyan, V. Apatskiy L. Belenov, V. Berezin, V. Bohdanov, N. Volkov, V. Gromchenko, Yu. Dolzhikov, V. Kachmarchyk, V. Lebedev, V. Popov, I. Pushechnikov, Yu. Usov, and A. Kiziliayev. There are works, which focus on the bassoon, its history, expressive and technical capabilities (G. Abadzhyan, V. Apatskiy, V. Bubnovich, N. Karaulovsky, S. Levin, V. Leonov, V. Popov, V. Starko, Anthony Baines). It is worth noting the rather important and comprehensive work by V. Apatskiy “Bassoon from A to Z”. There are numerous scientific publications of international woodwind performers associations, such as the International Double Reed Society, the Australian double reed community, the British double reed community, the Japan bassoon society, the Finnish double reed community. The purpose of the article is to reveal the specifics of the relationship between the structural improvements of the bassoon and the performance on the bassoon in the period of 16–17 centuries. Achieving this goal will help to perform tasks such as a historical overview of the development of the bassoon in the Baroque era and identify the relationship between constructive changes, artistic possibilities, repertoire potential (including the genre palette of the instrument) and composer work for the bassoon of this period. The presented article is a material used in the candidate’s dissertation, which is devoted to a wide range of issues of performance on the bassoon from the origins to the present. Methodology. The main research methods are historical, organological and performing. The historical method is associated with the characterization of the historical conditions of origin and development of the bassoon; the organological method is necessary to establish the connection between the constructive changes of the instrument with the new quality of its sound; the performing method helps to reveal new tendencies in bassoon performance of the 16–17 centuries from the new repertoire to the functional purpose of the instrument. Research results. Around the middle of the 17th century, fundamental changes occurred in the construction of the bassoon. They were caused by the need to regulate the overall tuning system of the instrument in such a way that it could participate in joint music-making with other instruments, as well as by the desire to make the instrument more portable. At the turn of the 16–17 centuries, in the process of bassoon chromatization as the result of complication of composer creativity, fundamental changes were made in the design of the instrument: new “chromatic” holes and valves, as well as fork fingering appeared. It was all connected with the formation of certain musical and aesthetic needs and developed along with them. So, the evolution of the bassoon 16–17 centuries led to such qualitative changes in the sound of the instrument as: softness of the tone, pitch control, expansion of the working range, great power of sound, ease of playing the instrument. The above-mentioned factors entailed fundamental changes in the composers’ attitude towards the instrument. The bassoon enters a more complex functional level in the works of various music genres (interlude to the comedy “La Pellegrina” by Girolamo Bargalia, “Sacrae symphoniae” by Giovanni Gabrieli, “Messa a 4 voci et Salmi” by C. Monteverdi, “Fantasy for basso continuo” by Bartolome deSelma-i-Salaverde, sonata “Lamonica” by PhilipFriedrich Bodekher, nine sonatas for solo bassoon and basso continuo by Giovanni Antonio Bertoli, sonata for two bassoons by Philipp Friedrich Buchner, opera “Il pomo d’oro” by Antonio Cesti, singspiel “Seelewig” by Sigmund Theophil Staden). The role of Antonio Vivaldi in the formation of the concerto, including concerto for bassoon, is difficult to overestimate, and thirty-nine Vivaldi’s concertos for bassoon are evidence of that. The creative work of Antonio Vivaldi affected Johann Sebastian Bach, who wrote bassoon parts in his works of different genres. George Philippe Telemann, Bach’s contemporary, is known for a large number of pieces with bassoon parts. Conclusions. Constructive changes resulted in the arrival of the bassoon to a new timbre, figurative-intonational, genre, and performance level. Meanwhile, there is a linear rather than reciprocal relationship between the above-mentioned levels. On the one hand, there is a direct dependence in the evolution of bassoon performance: new constructive features – technical capabilities of the instrument – more individual timbre character – new expressive possibilities – solo parts – solo pieces. On the other hand, all this creates new requirements both for the performer and for the instrument, which brings the situation back to the need for further search. The results of this research can be used in further studies devoted to the history and theory of bassoon performance in the historical, organological and genre-stylistic directions.

Logical reason for research. Modern performance on wind instruments, in particular on the trumpet, is characterized by a powerful development. It is an object of listening interest and composing, and today it has a fairly large repertoire of both transpositions and original works in many instrumental compositions (from solo to various ensembles and orchestras) in different styles and genres. This situation in music practice requires theoretical understanding and generalization, however, we can state that at the moment, music science highlights the performance on the wind instruments without any system, mostly from the methodological viewpoint. Innovation. The article under consideration deals with the organological aspect of studying the specificity of the performance on the trumpet, which combines a number of historical and practical questions and allows them to be answered in connection with the requests of both music science and music practice (from the peculiarities of the sound production on various instruments of the trumpet family at different times (from the historical origins of trumpet performance to the present) to the technical and artistic tasks faced by the trumpet performer, as well as by the composers who create both transpositions of time-tested music for trumpet and original trumpet pieces that take into account technical, timbre, artistic and expressive capabilities of this instrument). Objectives. The purpose of research is to reveal connection between the historical-organological and practical specificity of the performance on the trumpet in the past and at present. Methods. The main methods of the research are historical and organological. Results and Discussion. Trumpet as a musical instrument is one of the oldest musical instruments in the world. Its earliest prototypes are revealed in archaeological studies of the historical past of humanity. The prototypes of embouchure instruments are horn, bone, and tusk pipes with conical bore, mostly curved, which are ancestors of the horn family; instruments with straight cylindrical pipes formed a family of trumpet. The art of playing wind instruments was a significant development in ancient Egypt, where the state placed musical art at the service of rulers and worship. Musicians in those days accompanied festive events and rituals; what is more, wind and percussion instruments became the basis for the creation of military orchestras. A straight metal trumpet appeared in Europe in the Middle Ages. In the countries of Central Asia, Iran, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan copper brass instruments were played. China’s music and performing culture employed bronze trumpets of various sizes. In the 14th-15th centuries the evolution of metal instruments underwent qualitative changes. Forms of curved trumpets were born. In addition to this, trumpets were split into low and high ones; later, middle-register instruments appeared. The so-called natural trumpets, used then, were very close in sound to the modern trumpet. In Europe there were masters who made metal instruments; eminent experts in this field, the Heinlein Schmidt family, the Nagel family, English masters Dudley, U. Bullem worked in Nuremberg from the 15th and up to the 19th century. The emergence of a slide trumpet, a trumpet with a sliding crook, is connected with the attempts to improve the instrument for the sound production of more chromatic sounds (we must distinguish the achievements of Anton Weidinger). An important step in the evolution of the chromatic trumpet was the use of horn invention (croooks). In the mid-nineteenth century, having improved the inventory system with a valve mechanism, the trumpet finally gained its place in the orchestra as a chromatic instrument. At the present time, a trumpet with a piston valve mechanism (in jazz, variety, modern music) has become very popular. At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, trumpets of different structures, such as in C, in D, in Es, in F, were constructed; the designs of these trumpets are almost indistinguishable from the design of the modern trumpet. The piccolo trumpet was designed for a solo performance of ancient music (clarinet style); to amplify the low sounds, the alt trumpet in F and the bass trumpet became popular. Compared to fixed-mode instruments, the trumpet is a semifixed-pitch instrument. Therefore, a skilled performer is able to adjust the pitch within a certain area and correct defects in the setting of separate modeless sounds. The "planned" inaccuracy of the trumpet intonation is related to the use of a third valve. To correct the intonation associated with this, the trumpet has a device for extending an additional pipe of the third valve. There is no precise theoretical prediction of the given problem, so the correction of modeless sounds requires from the performer well-developed musical ear and knowledge of the specific features of their instrument. Conclusions. The summarized results of the presented article indicate that the organological aspect of the research in the field of performance on wind instruments, in particular, on the trumpet, is important and illustrative. It is an indispensable link that binds the theoretical and practical vectors of the study of trumpet art as a single set of knowledge; helps to identify the connection between the historical, organological and practical aspects of the performance on the trumpet, both past and present; promotes awareness of the specificity of playing a particular instrument, especially, understanding and assimilation of the design features of the trumpet in all its historical variants, and the corresponding principles of sound production with technical-acoustic and artistic effects; outlines the theoretical, scientific and methodological tasks for performers and composers whose work is related to the art of playing the trumpet. These are the directions in which further avenues for researching music related to the performance on the trumpet of different times, styles and genres can be seen.

Introduction. The widespread use of percussion instruments is a worldwide trend in artistic practice of the 20th – early 21st centuries, whose existence is due to the constant development of composer creativity and the performing art of percussion instruments playing. The named vectors of musical activity are linked inextricably, since one direction contributes to the development of another. Nevertheless, there are not still fundamental scientific works would investigate the evolution of wind instruments from the beginnings to the present in the designated context of the interaction between composer and performing arts. The questions remain open: why, over time, composers were more and more attracted to the sound images of percussion instruments? How did the formation of sound images of percussions take place and what tendencies can be distinguished in this process in connection with the development of various musical styles and genres, as well as with individual, unique composer ideas? What works contributed to the evolution of percussion instruments? The aim of the proposed research is an attempt to examine, in the context of evolutionary processes, the practice of the modern use of percussion instruments in composing and performing art. In addition to questions of their direct use in the works of composers, the sound image of percussions is considered, which can be reproduced with the help of articulation and other techniques on various instruments (piano, strings, harp, guitar etc.). Literature review and methodology of the research. This research in a factual aspect based on the works of G. Blagodatov (1969) and A. Kars (1989). However, percussion instruments are not the subject of special consideration in the works of these authors. In addition, we note that the methodological approach of the named researchers is opposite to the proposed analytical model. G. Blagodatov and A. Kars examine evolutionary processes in the history of a symphony orchestra and orchestration. However, they highlight the typical, not the special and unique, while is this interest that determines the specifics of our research. The historical and cultural approach that takes into account the historical experience of both musical and other types of art helps to “decode” the unique composer ideas. The historical and genetic research method is used when considering evolutionary processes and searching for features of historical continuity in the interpretation of sound images of percussion instruments. Findings. Modern interest in percussion instruments in the practice of playing music is associated with a new interpretation of the means of musical expression in compositions of the 20th – early 21st centuries. The reason for this interest should be sought in the correspondence of the sound image of the percussions to certain characteristics of the “picture of the world”, which develops in the work of artists throughout the XX–XXI centuries, a time of rapid total changes, when the “shock” and rigid “rhythm” become the symbols of the time, requiring, in turn, psychological relaxation and detachment. Accordingly, two main trends in the embodiment of percussion sound images formed. The first is associated with the emancipation of the rhythmic principle up to its complete liberation from the melodic one (the appearance in musical works of independent themerhythms, of expanded rhythmic structures, semantically significant rhythmic ostinatі, solo percussion instruments, in particular, in the works of the concert genre). The second is sonorous-coloristiс, revealing the wide timbre possibilities of percussion instruments, involving, among other things, exotic, archaic, atypical author’s methods of sound production, untempered sounds. In the 20 century, composers tried to free music from the power of even tempered tuning (for example, when using microtonal music in creative experiments carried out by A. Hába, Ch. Ives, I. Wyschnegradsky) and percussion instruments, by their nature, fit this tendency. Going beyond the limits of even tempered tuning concerns both pitch organization and concentration on timbre colors, sonorism. The second of the tendencies, in our opinion, responds to the hedonistic preferences of the listeners, and also corresponds to the widespread aesthetic concept of the naturalness of artistic creativity, where percussion appears as the most suitable instrument for reproducing natural biorhythms of the Universe and a Human in musical rhythms. The semantic content of percussion sound images demonstrates multidimensionality and poly-variety, up to opposite expressive meanings. Features of the use of percussion in musical works of the XX–XXI centuries are often determined by a unique composer intention, which performers and researchers should decode based on the cultural and historical experience of musical art. For example, the sound image of bells, which clearly reveals the sonor-color qualities of the percussiveness, acquires different semantic meanings depending on the author’s concept. It is possible to use sound images of percussion instruments from the standpoint of symbolism. Historical, in particular, national origins can also affect the interpretation of sound images of percussion instruments. Continuity and evolutionary changes are demonstrated by examples from the practice of using timpani, which for centuries were part of a symphony orchestra, and in the XX–XXI centuries became participants in a joint game and even soloists in different performing groups. The main section of the manuscript gives examples of all directions in the interpretation of sound images of percussion instruments. Conclusion. So, the proposed complex analytical model, taking into account the historical, national, evolutionary factors in the interpretation of sound images of percussion, which differs in different eras, seems promising, making it possible to trace the continuity in the new and the features of the cultural dialogue arising one way or another in the “big time” (M. Bakhtin) of art.