Verse:Hmøøh/Rewhd Sgutsis

[This page uses music theory work mainly by Gene Ward Smith and Mike Battaglia.]

Rhooc Avniin Askuucis (Anvirese: [r̝oːts əvˈni:n əˈsku:tsis] fT 2036 – fT 2096 (aged 60)) was an Anvirese music theorist and composer.

Traits

• Languages:
  • (Pretty archaic) Anvirese (native speaker)
  • Sfətsiv (knows a little, her grandparents spoke it)
  • Windermere and Tamil (She would have had to be able to read it to read premodern math texts and Jopah's writings)
  • Be able to read language Jopah wrote in
• What is her overarching motivation?
• tunings: JI, 22, 31

Historical backdrop

• Music theory: their scales are based on diamonds, CPS's, constant-structure scales
• Matrix algebra, from earlier work on tempering out small commas in JI.
  • Perhaps Askuucis's work consists of relating this regular temperament work to equal temperaments.
    • That's where the zeta function comes in, sorta.

Early life and education

Askuucis was born in the city of Fwian, Anvir to a family of Adutsib descent as the second of three children. Her father was the physicist and composer Avnin Salis, who was professor of physics in the University of Flian. Her mother, Χwava Askuucis (adapted from Adutsib xwəbad skwucis), was a classical ŋams player and music teacher. Her mother's brother, Mugiv Ytxudhe, was a [] player.

A child prodigy, Rhooc was taught ngams and math from a young age. She started auditing music and math classes before she was 5. She was allowed to skip boarding school and to enroll in the University of Flian in math at age 10 by taking an entrance exam. She was an exceptionally gifted student and graduated in mathematics and music with honors at age 16 (fT 2052). She then studied composition and instrumentation with a number of composers.

In fT 2056 Askuucis returned as a doctoral student in mathematics to Flian University, where she specialized in number theory. Under the supervision of Esngoa rith Mnang, Askuucis was awarded a doctorate for her dissertation in fT 2061.

Later life

Shortly after receiving her doctorate, Askuucis started corresponding with a number of composers, musicians and theorists to exchange ideas about music.

In fT 2076, an academic took notice of Askuucis's work and invited her to serve in the University of Cdam Sre as a professor of music. She accepted the offer and would continue to teach there for 14 years. Among her students were several notable Talman composers and popular musicians.

In fT 2090, Askuucis retired from her academic post and secluded herself, intending to focus solely on composition. She lived in a house in Sŋooron until she died of a stroke in fT 2096.

Contributions to music theory

Building on Jopah's constant structure scales, Askuucis described a variety of equal temperaments derived from equating the step sizes in constant-structure scales. She believed that this development would be a step [no pun intended] towards more flexible music. Though the process of tempering out small commas such as 2401/2400 was already known, Askuucis's work was the first to propose equal temperaments as a method of temperament.

Askuucis asked why the same scale sizes - e.g. 7, 12, 19, 22, 27, 31 - kept showing up for "good" constant structures. This led her to discover how to formalize the notion of "good" EDOs in terms of the maxima of the Riemann zeta function on the critical strip, and discovered 19edo this way.

Compositions

Partial list

• A collection of works in various equal temperaments, à la Blackwood (?)
• Winter Solstice Cantatas
• Some musical dramas

Bibliography

• Her thesis (fT 2061) + a couple of other math papers

Personal life and views

A lesbian, Askuucis never had children. She had a few female lovers throughout her life.

Philosophy-wise, Askuucis was an avid Grwidian and this influenced some of her compositions as well.

Family members:

• Osri Askuucis (older sister) - music teacher
• Yzich Askuucis (younger sister)