Review
“No less a figure than Igor Stravinsky observed, shortly before his death, that he believed the expansion of intonation and pitch would characterize the next stage of development in Western art music. Read's new book brings us up to the moment on the history of, and current conditions in, the exploitation and notation of microtonal music. Exhaustive in coverage, free from judgmental views, clear and definitive in presenting the problems and possibilities of microtonal music and notation, Read's work is as thorough and authoritative a consideration of the field as we are likely to see. Drawing upon examples from an impressive list of composers living and dead, Read discusses the fundamental problems with microtones: how to accommodate microtonal notation to established diatonic and chromatic notational norms, which octave-divisions to exploit, and how to persuade the many composers working with microtones to agree upon a single notational method. Read leaves no doubt that the problems are daunting and thus far largely unresolved, but his predictions of likely avenues for development in the near future seem sensible and possible of achievement. The book is well printed, contains a lengthy bibliography and index, and is remarkably free from typographical error, no mean feat in a work of such complexity. If there is as yet no overpowering literature of microtonal music, Read's study demonstrates that many excellent musicians are laboring in the vineyard of the microtone. In the spirit of Mr. Micawber, something is bound to turn up.”–Choice
Product Description
No other book has covered the subject of 20th-century microtonal notation in such depth as this comprehensive guide book. In 20th-Century Microtonal Notation, Read lists chronologically, describes, and analyzes the majority of the notational systems proposed during the past three centuries, providing a broad understanding of the historical background that informs the current debates. Each proposal is accompanied by a brief transcription from standard notation to illustrate the effectiveness of implementing this novel system.
