Verse:Hmøøh/Talma/Music

The Talman just intonation tunings and scales are due to Praimhín.

Talman music has a long history and has changed greatly over time. Classical music usually uses extended just intonation (at least abstractly): intervals are viewed as rational frequency ratios, which have not only factors of 2, 3 and 5, but also 7, 11, 13 and higher primes which are not well-represented in Western European music. In contrast, modern Talman music uses various EDOs and other tempered scales.

Talmans traditionally preferred smaller ensembles; larger orchestras are a Classical and Romantic development.

Todo

Need Talman rituals, holidays and festivals

Early romantic period temperament: ~15/13 (half a septimal meantone fourth) x 11/8

For late romantic period: 22edo, or a weird meantone edo like 26edo

Standardization

The Trician scientific unit for musical intervals is the vri (named after the acoustician Yðŋi Vri), the interval given by the frequency ratio exp(1/1728):1 ≈ 1.00187155617 cents. So it's in practice very similar in size to cents.

Some simple intervals in vri:

• 2/1 (octave) ≈ 1197.75832801 vri
• 3/2 (just perfect fifth) ≈ 700.643706813 vri
• 4/3 (just perfect fourth) ≈ 497.114621198 vri
• 5/4 (just major third) ≈ 385.592056672 vri
• 6/5 (just minor third) ≈ 315.051650141 vri
• 7/4 (harmonic seventh) ≈ 967.016081555 vri
• 11/8 ≈ 550.288047374 vri
• 13/8 ≈ 838.957505673 vri
• 81/80 (syntonic comma) ≈ 21.4661145576 vri

Standard pitch: 408 Hz; 380 Hz is used as "baroque pitch"

History

The reason that JI and other high-dimensional tunings have been a mainstay in Talman music for so long was that no equal temperament of reasonable size supported all of the features that Talman composers desired.

Early

Much of Talman just intonation evolved from an older tradition of throat-singing. Just intonation was initially an attractive choice as it was considered easy to tune and evaluate musicians on. Primes higher than 5 may have come from an early tradition of throat singing where having a deep voice and the ability to throat-sing higher harmonics (11-14) clearly was seen as a mark of masculinity.

Windermere imperial courtly music

Composer Tsăhong Tamdi's treatise Elements of Harmony, which describes Partchian tonality diamonds, came to codify Windermere imperial courtly music. In particular, he recommended against using fixed-pitch instruments, arguing that they were expressively limited. This recommendation was lasting in influence - most instruments used in traditional Talman music are flexible-pitch instruments.

Later imperial courtly music used more general cross-sets and incorporated more folk music elements. Many choral, chamber and orchestral works from this period are considered part of the canon.

The aesthetic was quiet and calm, somewhat like Renaissance music.

Thanks to the invention of the printing press, many works of music survive from the late Pnüeng dynasty period.

Classical period

Tuning-wise, the Classical period used scales that Etsoj Jopah discovered, such as C(n,k)-anies, Euler-Fokker genera and other CPS's; constant structures. Composers started to use effectively free JI, with more modulation, with each scale playing a role like the tonic.

Nationalism was a strong influence during the Classical period - many Talman national anthems were written during the classical period.

Early Romantic period

Romantic composers emphasized emotion, humor, exuberance and contemplation. Romantic music often had an individualist ethos, which prompted the development of solo techniques. Early Romantic period composers used a free JI approach with microtempering, only sometimes flirting with more tempered scales. However, the use of equal temperaments were spurred on by the theorist Bloisin and the invention of the isomorphic keyboard in later Romantic period.

Talman Romanticism was less nationalistic than Earth Romanticism.

Late Romantic period

Many late Romantic composers were involved in "Gothicism", for lack of a better term. Gothicism was a reaction against the polished, optimistic aesthetic of the Classical and early Romantic periods, and is inspired by Talman late Romantic era horror literature. Gothic music uses a lot of dissonant chords and blaring, raspy, sighing or murmuring timbres. This is often viewed as continuous with the Early Modern period.

Early modern period

Early modern art music uses expressive dissonance liberally. The general aesthetic somewhat resembles jazz. Some people used more impressionist or atonal/serialist styles.

Modern period

Modern composers often work with a larger variety of equal temperaments and rank-2 temperaments. Some favorite equal temperaments are 10, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, 27, 31, 41, 46, 53, 58, 72, 87 - but many other equal temperaments are used, including nonoctave scales (like the Bohlen-Pierce scale).

Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism emerged in modern times as a dissident movement in both Fyxám and Talma (in Fyxám, as a reaction to Populism; in Talma, as a reaction to hyper-academic music).

Instruments

Some common Talman instruments are given below with their Eevo names; they can be divided into continuous-pitch and fixed-pitch instruments.

Continuous-pitch

Free-pitch instruments are prized for their ability to play in any tuning; ngjeoms quartets and quintets are fertile ground for explorations of tuning systems.

• ðavr = a 4-stringed fiddle, used for the treble register
  • Tuning: 2:3:5:7, lowest string = 204 Hz
• ŋams = a viol-like 5-stringed bowed string instrument used for the treble and alto register
  • Tuning: 2:3:5:7:9, lowest string = 136 Hz
  • softwood; arched plates; sound post; should be thicker than a viola and be played vertically
  • Electric ŋams for vegans
• ŋamsóm = an instrument the size of a large cello or small double bass which is tuned an octave lower than a ŋams
  • Tuning: 2:3:4:5:7:9, lowest string = 68 Hz
• txovích = fretless steel guitar tuned to a hexany
• lyzóf = a trombone; exists in many different pitch ranges, such as soprano, alto, tenor, and bass lazóf
• byrẃl = musical saw
• gyvúas = a slide bassoon
• iskól = a slide flute
• fretless guitar

Fixed-pitch

• jogóm = an unfretted zither with 60 strings
• teem = an oboe
• fewm = a drum
• sewvore (named after the inventor, Jamon Sewvore) = isomorphic keyboard

Vegetarian and vegan instruments

Copper strings and hoof glue were vegetarian substitutes for gut strings and hide glue.

Melody

Though Talman music is precise in categorizing harmonic intervals, melody is categorized more loosely. For example, a previously used melody can be deformed slightly or be inverted.

The notion of a motif dominates some periods of Talman music. Some motif-based music may transform motifs gradually until they are no longer recognizable (maybe in more avant garde music).

Rhythm

Talman music often uses familiar Western meters, but some types are practically meterless. (Depends on time period.)

Percussion is absent or used sparingly, or is used only lightly in Talman classical music.

Musical genres and forms

Talman classical forms evolved from songs and court music forms.

Some music attempts to convey narratives; this music is categorized as frynu tlaneçol in Eevo. [This is not a precise category however, as even not-explicitly-programmatic music or music without lyrics often try to create a sense of "story" to some extent by using multiple parts.]

Chamber music

Chamber music was highly valued by Talmans. Pieces were commonly written for the Talman string quartet with two ðavr, one ŋams and one ŋamsóm.

Art songs

Art songs, which was developed during the Romantic period, are performed by a solo voice (or sometimes two or three voices), often with chamber accompaniment. Lyrics may be poems dealing with nature and idyllic settings; love; mystical themes; short dialogues; or humor. Some art songs are longer or form a song cycle, and feature multi-part narratives.

Art songs often have more of a specified, compact form made of sections, following the poetic structure of the lyrics.

Polyphonic music

A common style of polyphony, called [yeejeħrhoog] in Amphirese and chălismoay in Rhythoed, uses two melodic lines in a JI scale or free JI, and explores the JI dyadic harmony formed by the melodic lines. Yeejeħrhooga with three or more voices are considered quite adventurous.

More familiar techniques like canons and fugues occur during the Romantic period. Polyphony in general was seen as depicting a dialogue between characters.

Dance music

Some dances are in rhythms such as 5, 7, 10, or 25 beats per measure (but no with higher prime factors).

Music was also traditionally performed in eating establishments, taverns, and banquets. This type of music often resembled more jovial types of dance music. Tavern music, in particular, was usually improvised on the ðavr or a ŋams family instrument, meanwhile more aristocratic banquet music was composed and played by a chamber ensemble.

Some dances are:

• A quasi-jig (in 6/8 or another triple compound meter)

Dance music was often assembled into suites, like in the Baroque period.

Musical theater

[TODO: Talman literature]

Musical theater (Eevo: vylám, from Rhythoed: wălam 'legend, story, retelling') is usually based on works of literature (common sources are myths, depictions of history, famous plays or novels), and was developed greatly during the Romantic period. Modern works often take inspiration from literature and musical ideas from other cultures or contemporary works.

There exist a few different subgenres of classical vylám:

• Classical vylám: Small-scale Baroque opera-like works, but with more intoned/spoken parts. Since the accompanying orchestra was small, the singing technique was not very demanding; the emphasis was on clear delivery of words, rather than melodic virtuosity. This type of musical theater was enjoyed by the elites into the Classical period.
• Romantic-era vylám is more colorful. It was developed to appeal more to the masses.
  • A serious style used for histories, myths, heroic tales, tragedies or science fiction.
  • A comedic or satirical style, usually just lighthearted but also used for social commentary
• Partch-style corporeal musical dramas: These dramas are designed to be appreciated visually, narratively and emotionally as well as musically. Unlike in Western musicals or operas, the performers who play the instruments are also those who act out the parts and sing.

Cantatas

Cantatas (Eevo palyçúah, Windermere palăchüech, etymologically 'that which is recited') were often written for special occasions or holidays, such as Bwrjadreeg (Talman winter solstice).

Monastic music

Traditionally, monastic music used many small steps (about quarter-tone-sized) and required a high degree of concentration to perform. Modern monastic music is laxer and has more popular music influence.

Notation

Talman music uses the Helmholtz-Ellis notation. It differs from Bjeheondian and other Trician JI notation schemes, in that it is more symmetrical and is less biased toward harmonic series scales.

• fa sol la ti do re mi fa (F G A B C D E F) = pythagorean scale, lydian mode
• 5, 7, 11, 13 accidentals are defined by: sol la ti(v5) do(^11) re mi(v13) fa(v7) = harmonics 8-14
  • accidentals for 17, 19, 23, 29, 31 = as in Helmholtz-Ellis
• Apotomic sharps and flats: Bb F C G D A E B F# (# = diëz, b = bemol, from Clofabic)

Nurian music

The most well-known Nurian instrument is probably the aġġiakkātą [ædʒdʒækˈkaːtˠãː], a pasta guitar-like instrument with a bridge to separate two rows of strings that are an octave apart. Common models have 21 strings (folk), 29 strings (classical) or 37 strings (deluxe).

Some tunings for aġġiakkātai:

• 1/1 11/10 6/5 5/4 11/8 3/2
• 1/1 25/24 7/6 5/4 7/5 3/2
• 1/1 21/20 8/7 6/5 5/4 21/16 10/7 3/2
• 441/440 tempered out: 1/1 21/20 11/10 8/7 6/5 5/4 21/16 11/8 10/7 3/2
• hexanic: 1/1 21/20 35/32 8/7 6/5 5/4 21/16 48/35 10/7 3/2
• major: 1/1 25/24 7/6 6/5 5/4 7/5 35/24 3/2
• minor: 1/1 25/24 15/14 6/5 5/4 9/7 75/56 3/2
• augmented: 1/1 15/14 7/6 5/4 9/7 35/24 3/2
• the 29 string model: 1/1 21/20 8/7 6/5 5/4 21/16 10/7 3/2 or 1/1 25/24 7/6 6/5 5/4 7/5 35/24 3/2
• the 37 string model: 1/1 21/20 35/32 8/7 6/5 5/4 21/16 48/35 10/7 3/2 or 1/1 25/24 15/14 7/6 6/5 5/4 9/7 7/5 35/24 3/2

Roshterian music

[Insert some Roshterian folk instrument here]

Swutsim music

The ancient Swutsim had a tradition of antiphonal chants in their religious services. Little is known about the original melodies, and Swutsim religious texts do not mention or prescribe a particular tuning, but Ancient Swutsim music is speculated to have been monophonic and based on a heptatonic scale.

The Talman Swutsim use JI tunings like other Talmans; however, they developed their own distinctive style for their religious and folk songs. The liturgical style tends more contrapuntal.

Notable figures

Imperial period

• Tsăhong Tamdi was a composer, physicist and mathematician who wrote Elements of Harmony.
• Inthar Tăhus invented other cross-sets.
• Fron Șărep invented the precursor to modern Talman notation based on a chain of fifths - which was popularized in the later Imperial era.
• Hădech Nușach is well known for his string quartets.

Classical period

• Etsoj Jopah was a philosopher who described various JI scales.
• Intar Foltatz Amphirese composer who put the seal of approval on Jopah's ideas.
• Ukhy Seŋry: a major Amphirese composer
• Coscy Sivy: Amphirese composer
• Yðŋi Vri was a Sgewlan acoustician who proposed the interval unit of vri.

Romantic period

• Rochth Scutzis was a prolific Amphirese composer and music theorist. As "the last Jopahite in Talma", Scutzis exerted an outsized influence on future Talman music – she is often held to be responsible for the bifurcation between Talman and Fyxámian musical traditions.
• Garinsher Bloisin was a mathematician and music theorist. Bloisin studied Scutzis's work, and went on to devise most of regular temperament theory
• Jamon Sewvore was a student of Bloisin, and invented the isomorphic keyboard, called the sewvore in Eevo.
• Cyphran Dzaŋyde was a famous Amphirese composer of vyláms.
• Propanol Mochraid was another Amphirese operatic composer.
  • Jyndychouis is an adaptation of Hyjad Orphair's novel cycle Jyndychouis: Aŋchid, an attractive female protagonist stuck in a hostile and dangerous alien world of Jyndychouis. She becomes involved in a cult of the god [name that sounds alien to Amphirese speakers]. Her worship takes on a much more... personal dimension, which becomes all-consuming and destructive, the world falling around it...

Modern music

• Tleeç Bwsað was an Impressionist composer who almost exclusively used EDOs, especially the "bad" ones.
• Aw-Cih Rhw (Aud-Ghihi Lhuj) was a Shumian-Sgewlan neoclassical composer.

Works

• Some sci-fi-themed corporeal musical drama (named after an in-world character): based on the work of the pseudonymous author Þoogast P. Nosaŋve.