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Book Reviews
20th-Century Microtonal Notation.
By Gardner Read. (Contributions to
the Study of Music and Dance, 18.)
New York: Greenwood Press, 1990.
[viii, 198 p. ISBN 0-313-273987.
$39.95.]
In 20th-CenturyMicrotonalNotation Gardner Read has gathered together examples
of notational systems used by contemporary composers for a great variety of microtonal tuning systems ranging from
twenty-four-tone
equal
temperament
(quarter-tones) to open-ended systems of
extended just intonation. Unfortunately,
Read's descriptions of the microtonal tuning systems that underlie the notational systems in question are so rife with errors and
misconceptions as to render them virtually
useless. Any reader who is not fully conversant with the principles governing the
construction of microtonal scales is at risk
of acquiring an extremely faulty view of the
subject from this book.
Two of Read's more glaring misinterpretations concern material that was originally
published in 111, a journal of which I am
the editor. A very unequal twenty-four
tone, thirteen-limit just scale used by Jon
Catler (see his "Over and Under: The Thirteen Limit," 1/1 3, no. 3 [1987]: 4-5) is
presented as an example of "quartertones." The actual intervals between consecutive tones of this scale range in size
from 16.6 cents to 92.2 cents, where one
cent equals I of a tempered semitone
or TM of an octave. A quarter tone is, of
course, 50 cents. My own suggestion for a
nine-tone just tuning of the major diatonic
scale (David B. Doty, "Tutorial: Part Four
[The Nine-Tone Diatonic Scale]" 1/1 3, no.
1 [1987]: 2, 14) Read describes as "another
attempt to reduce the normal twelve
pitches of the octave by three intervals" (p.
1309
with which I am familiar. Whether such
errors are a result of carelessness or ignorance on the part of the author, I am
unable to determine, but in either case they
lead me to doubt the accuracy of any information in the book that I cannot independently verify. In conclusion, readers
who already have a thorough understanding of microtonal composition may find this
book interesting for the great variety of
notational systems it gathers together in
one place, but are likely to be as annoyed
by the errors, inconsistencies,and contradictions in the text. Readers who lack such
an understanding are advised to look at the
notational examples but to regard the text
with caution, on the assumption that it is
safer to remain ignorant than to be thoroughly misinformed.
DAVID B. DOTY
32130-1. $39.95.]
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1310
NOTES, June
1992
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1311
Book Reviews
amine the efficacy of this bibliography's index.
By cross-checking entries against the index one can discover omissions easily. For
example: citation number 4093, "The Mute
in Contemporary Trumpet Performance,"
has no corresponding entry in the index
under "mutes"; citation number 4969,
"How do They Age so Well? Lawrence,
Dicky and Vic," has no corresponding entries for the subjects of the article,
Lawrence Brown, Dicky Wells, and Vic
Dickenson. These two examples are surely
straightforward enough to suggest that indexing might be a matter of concern. Other
problems with the index have to do with
the appropriateness of subject headings.
For instance, citation number 1785, "The
Evolution of the Role of the Solo Trombone in the Nineteenth Century and Twentieth Century," is not represented in the
index under "trombone," and neither
"nineteenth century" or "twentieth century" serves as a heading. A more complex
example can be found in citation number
3557, "Playing and Singing Simultaneously
on Brass Instruments" (for which the author is listed in the index as both Sluchin,
B. and Sluchin, G.). A search of the index
under the main works of the title yields a
negative result, as does a search under
"special techniques." Since Fasman discusses neither his method of nor objectives
in indexing, it is impossible to discern if
omissions of this sort are due to conscious
choice or to oversight. Either way, readers
should be aware of likely problems with the
index of this book.
Overall, Brass Bibliographyfills a substantial need for those involved in brass research and sets a standard of inclusiveness
for bibliographies of instrumental studies
in general. Brass players and teachers will
appreciate the diversity of material here
included and will most likely find this book
of valuable assistance.
JOHN BEWLEY
Rutgers University,New Brunswick
Ethnic Music on Records: A Discography of Ethnic Recordings Produced in the United States, 1893 to
1942. By Richard K. Spottswood. With
a foreword by James H. Billington.
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