IMPROVISATIONS FOR CONTEMPORARY LYRE AT 432 HZ
The sequel to my ultra-experimental album, "21st Century Lyre Music", in this
new album, I explore the possibilities of how modern studio effects can further
enhance the sound of the lyre to give it a new voice for the 21st century and
beyond, in addition to exploring the many claims about the benefits of using A
at 432 Hz as a reference pitch.
Although music at 432 Hz certainly does have a more calming effect on the
listener than the present standard pitch of A at 440 Hz, I am much more
sceptical about all the ‘New Age nonsense’ claims currently clogging the Web
about this specific reference pitch, as discussed in detail, in my website blog,
"Is 432 Hz New Age Schmertz?":
http://ancientlyre.com/blogs/is_432_hz_new_age_schmertz/
In short, I argue that music sounds calmer at 432 Hz, simply because it is at this
slightly lower reference pitch, not because it is specifically at 432 Hz - even with
modern nylon strings, during the course of only a few minutes, my lyre
certainly will not stay at a reference pitch of precisely 432 Hz for more than a
few moments, due to natural slackening of string tension and the subtle effect
of humidity on the wood of the instrument etc. Indeed, I have heard an even
more calming effect whilst playing my Baroque violin, made in 1753 by
Remerus Leissem, when playing at the slightly lower Baroque reference pitch
of 415 Hz – it is a simple observation, that a decrease in reference pitch results
in a decrease in the excitement of the listener and vice versa. This has
absolutely nothing to do with matching the frequency of the cosmos, as some
of the New Age obsessives would have us believe!
For me, the true "magic" is nothing to do with this reference pitch alone - the
real magic in ancient music, was the use of just intonation - the wonderfully
pure intervals take on an almost three dimensional, transparent quality, with a
more calming effect on the listener, yet at the same time, more inspiring!
Indeed, ancient civilizations had absolutely no concept of what sound was, let
alone did they have the capacity to measure the specific vibrations per second
in Hertz! However, they did understand mathematical ratios, and during the
development of the first fretted lutes some 5000 years ago in ancient
Mesopotamia, in working out precisely where to place the frets to divide the
musical scale, by their calculations, it was soon discovered that the more whole
number ratios are used to divide a musical scale, the more symmetrical and
perfect the resulting musical intervals will sound.
This is the essence of how divisively tuned just intonation developed, until
sadly replaced by modern equal temperament from the time of J.S. Bach.
Although equal temperament enabled Classical music to develop by allowing
the seamless transposition between keys by artificially making each semitone
equal in ratio and thus maintain the same ratio no matter what key was being
played, the dire consequence of this tuning system is that it resulted in impure
and ‘muddy’ sounding intervals! Indeed, the slightly out of phase beat waves in
equal temperament can best be heard when playing a triad on the piano – the
out of phase beat waves generate a very noticeable “wooowooowoo” sound.
When both just intonation and the slightly lower reference pitch of 432 Hz are
combined, as in my new series of improvisations for solo lyre in a selection of
some of the original ancient Greek and Middle Eastern Modes, further
enhanced by contemporary studio effects, the effect is quite mesmerizing...
THE TRACKS
1. Cosmic Resonance – a spontaneous improvisation around a variation of
a Middle Eastern Hijaz mode (DD#F#GABC#D) at 432 Hz in just
intonation.
2. Into the Arms of Mother Earth – a spontaneous improvisation in the
ancient Greek Hypolydian Mode (equivalent intervals as F-F on the piano
and misnamed the “Lydian” mode in the Middle Ages) at 432 Hz in just
intonation.
This ancient Greek mode evokes a soft, feminine character, with a
unique dreamy feel…
3. Celestial Flames – a spontaneous improvisation in the ancient Greek
Hypophrygian Mode (equivalent intervals as G-G on the white notes of
the piano and misnamed the “Mixolydian” mode in the Middle Ages) at
432 Hz in just intonation.
This ancient Greek mode evokes feelings of warmth and contentment…
4. Dark Matter – a spontaneous improvisation in the ancient Greek Dorian
Mode (equivalent intervals as E-E on the white note of the piano and
misnamed the “Phrygian” mode in the Middle Ages) at 432 Hz in just
intonation.
This is a deeply introspective, intense sounding ancient Greek Mode…
5. Quantum Fluctuation – a spontaneous improvisation in the Middle
Eastern Chromatic Phrygian Mode (DEFG#ABCD) at 432 Hz in just
intonation.
As well as being known in traditional Jewish Klezmer music as the
Misheberak Mode, this hypnotic, sounding exotic mode can also be
heard in a surviving dramatic fragment of ancient Greek music, called
“Tecmessa’s Lament”. This mode has the equivalent intervals as
DEFG#ABCD.
6. Solar Wind – a spontaneous improvisation in the ancient Greek
Hypodorian Mode at 432 Hz in just intonation (equivalent intervals as AA on the white notes of the piano and misnamed the “Aeolian” mode in
the Middle Ages).
Also known as the natural minor scale, this ancient Greek Mode is
intense yet sorrowful…
7. Timelessness – a spontaneous improvisation in the ancient Greek
Phrygian Mode at 432 Hz in just intonation (equivalent intervals as D-D
on the white notes of the piano and misnamed the “Dorian” mode in the
Middle Ages).
This ancient Greek Mode is wonderfully poignant, evoking feelings of
yearning…