List_of_quarter_tone_pieces

List of quarter tone pieces

List of quarter tone pieces

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A selection of compositions using quarter tones:

A

  • Thomas Adès
    • Asyla calls for an upright piano tuned a quarter-tone flat.

B

C

  • Jacob Collier
    • In the Bleak Midwinter for 10 Vocalists (2016)[18]
  • Julián Carrillo
    • Capricho for piano in quarter-tones (1959)[19]
    • Capricho for solo viola in quarter-tones (1926)[19]
    • Casi-sonatas 1–6 for solo violin, viola or cello in quarter-tones (c.1960s)[19]
    • Concertino in quarter-, eighth- and sixteenth-tones for violin, cello and harp with orchestra (1926)[19]
    • Concerto for 1/4-tone and 1/8-tone cello and orchestra (1958)[19]
    • Concerto No. 1 for quarter-tone violin and orchestra (1963)[19]
    • Concerto No. 2 for quarter-tone violin and orchestra (1964)[19]
    • Mass for Pope John XXIII for male chorus in quarter-tones (1920s)[19]
    • Preludio a Colón for vocalizing soprano, octavina (modified bass guitar, in 8th tones), flute, 16th-tone harp, violin, and guitar (1922)[19]
    • Serenata for cello in quarter-tones with English horn, harp, and string quartet (1927)[19]
    • 70 estudios for solo violin in quarter-tones (c. 1927?) {also for solo viola, cello, or double-bass}[19]
    • Sonata for solo guitar in quarter-tones (c.1924)[19]
    • Sonata (Amanecer en Berlin 13) for solo harp in quarter-tones (1931)[19]
    • Sonata casi fantasia for violin, violoncello and guitar in quarter-, eighth- and sixteenth-tones (1925)[19]
    • String Quartet in quarter-tones (c.1924) {There are also 7 others with some using smaller intervals.}[19]
    • Suite for solo guitar in quarter-tones (1960)[19]
    • 3 estudios en forma de sonatina for solo violin in quarter-tones (1927)[19]
    • Symphony No. 1 (Colombia) for orchestra in quarter-tones (c.1924)[19]
    • Symphony No. 2 (Colombia) for orchestra in quarter-tones (1926)[19]
  • Aaron Copland
  • John Corigliano
    • Chiaroscuro for two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart (1997)[20]
  • Mildred Couper
    • Xanadu for two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart (ca. 1930)[14]
    • Dirge for two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart,[21] published in New Music quarterly (January 1937)[22]
    • Rumba for two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart (ca. 1937)[23]

D

  • John Diercks
    • Reminiscences, 1971 for two pianos, one tuned a quarter-tone lower.[24]

E

F

G

H

  • Sampo Haapamäki
    • Velinikka, concerto for quarter-tone accordion (2008)[33]
    • Conception, double concerto for quarter-tone guitar, quarter-tone accordion and orchestra (2012)
    • Quarter-Tone Piano Concerto (2017)[34]
  • Georg Friedrich Haas
    • 3 Hommages, for piano player on two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart[35]
      • "Hommage à Steve Reich" (1982)
      • "Hommage à György Ligeti" (1984)
      • "Hommage à Josef Matthias Hauer" (1982)
  • Alois Hába
    • Children's Play for unaccompanied youth chorus, Op.43 (1932)
    • Chor-Suite for unaccompanied chorus, Op. 13 (1922)
    • 5 Choruses for unaccompanied youth chorus, Op. 42 (1932)
    • 5 Mixed Choruses, Op. 44 (1932)
    • Detské nálady (Children's Moods), 8-song cycle for mid-ranged voice and quartertone guitar, Op.51 (1943)
    • Fantasy No. 1 for quartertone piano, Op. 17 (1923)
    • Fantasy No. 2 for quartertone piano, Op. 19 (1924)
    • Fantasy No. 3 for quartertone piano, Op. 20 (1924)
    • Fantasy No. 4 for quartertone piano, Op. 25 (1925)
    • Fantasy No. 5 for quartertone piano, Op. 26 (1925)
    • Fantasy No. 6 for quartertone piano, Op. 27 (1926)
    • Fantasy No. 7 for quartertone piano, Op. 28 (1926)
    • Fantasy No. 8 for quartertone piano, Op. 29 (1926)
    • Fantasy No. 9 for quartertone piano, Op. 30 (1926)
    • Fantasy No. 10 for quartertone piano, Op. 31 (1926)
    • Fantasy No. 11 for quartertone piano, Op. 89 (1959)
    • Fantasy for unaccompanied violin, Op. 9a (1921)[19]
    • Fantasy for unaccompanied violoncello, Op. 18 (1924)
    • Fantasy for violin and quartertone piano, Op. 21 (1925)[19]
    • Fantasy for viola and quartertone piano, Op. 32 (1926)
    • Fantasy for violoncello and quartertone piano, Op. 33 (1927)
    • (I) for unaccompanied men's chorus, Op. 36 (1928)
    • Matka (The Mother), quartertone opera in 10 scenes, Op. 35 (1927–29)[19]
    • Poesie zivota (Poetry of Life), 12-song cycle for soprano and quartertone guitar, Op. 53 (1943)
    • Pracující den (The working day) for unaccompanied male voices, Op. 45 (1932)
    • Solo for violin Op. 93 (1961–62)[19]
    • Sonata for quartertone piano, Op. 62 (1946–47)[19]
    • String Quartet No. 2 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 7 (1920)[19]
    • String Quartet 3 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 12 (1922)
    • String Quartet 4 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 14 (1922)
    • String Quartet 6 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 70 (1950)
    • String Quartet No. 12 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 90 (1959–60)[19]
    • String Quartet 14 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 94 (1963)
    • Suite No. 1 for quartertone piano, Op. 10 (1922, revised in 1932 as Op. 11a)
    • Suite No. 2 for quartertone piano, Op. 11 (1922, revised in 1932 as Op. 11b)
    • Suite No. 3 for quartertone piano, Op. 16 (1923)
    • Suite No. 4 for quartertone piano, Op. 22 (1924)
    • Suite No. 5 for quartertone piano, Op. 23 (1925)
    • Suite No. 6 for quartertone piano, Op. 88 (1957–59)[19]
    • Suite for clarinet and quartertone piano, Op. 24 (1925)[19]
    • 1st Suite for quartertone guitar, Op. 54 (1943)
    • 2nd Suite for quartertone guitar, Op. 63 (1947)
    • Suite for clarinet (unaccompanied), Op. 55 (1943)
    • Suite for quartertone trumpet and trombone, Op. 56 (1944)
    • Suite in quartertones for 4 trombones, Op. 72 (1950)[19]
  • Fromental Halévy
    • Prométhée enchaîné (1849)[36]
  • Jonathan Harvey
    • Valley of Aosta for chamber ensemble of 13 players and electronics (1988)[citation needed]
  • Lejaren Hiller
    • String Quartet No. 5 (1962).[14]
  • Alan Hovhaness
    • O Lord, Bless Thy Mountains, Op. 276, for two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart (1974)[37]

I

K

L

  • Michael A. Levine
    • Divination by Mirrors for Saw and Strings. Strings are divided into two groups of 13 tuned 1/4 step apart. Each group plays only in its own pitch "universe". The featured bowed saw freely moves from standard tuning to pitches a 1/4 step away. Premiered at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City, 1998 by the New York Virtuosi and Dale Stuckenbruck saw soloist.[41]
  • György Ligeti
    • Clocks and Clouds for 12-voiced women's choir and orchestra.[42]
    • Quartet No. 2 for strings.[43]
    • Ramifications for 12 solo strings (1968–69), divided into two groups tuned a quarter-tone apart.[44]
  • Arthur Lourié
    • Prelude for piano "with higher chromatism", Op.12 No.2 (1912).
  • Alain Louvier
    • Anneaux de Lumière (1983) for two pianos, one tuned a quarter-tone apart (1 player)

M

  • Drake Mabry [de; fr; nl]
    • Street Cries (11.10.83) for solo B♭ clarinet features extensive use of quarter tones in all three movements.[45]
  • Henry Mancini
  • Steve Mackey
    • Indigenous Instruments[48]
    • On All Fours[48]
  • Andrew March
    • Aeolian Rustling (2001) for alto flute (Boehm system) and harp, with Kingma System alto flute ossia.[49]
    • XXIX—in Perpetuum (2001) for solo Kingma System quarter-tone alto flute.[49]
    • Water Lilies (2001) for solo alto flute and harp, with Kingma System quarter-tone alto flute ossia.[50]
    • Memoriam (2002) for Kingma System quarter-tone alto flute, vibraphone, marimba, harp and strings.[51]
  • Rytis Mažulis
  • Olivier Messiaen
    • Deux monodies en quarts de ton (1938).[52]

N

O

  • Frank J. Oteri
    • Circles Mostly in Wood, a quarter-tone wind quintet in five movements (2002)[53]
    • Fair and Balanced, a quarter-tone saxophone quartet[54] in four short movements (2004)

P

R

  • Karel Reiner
    • Fantasy for quarter-tone piano (1935-36)
    • Five songs for voice with violin accompaniment in quarter-tones to texts by Karel Hynek Mácha (1936, performed at the 1938 ISCM Festival in Paris)
    • 3 Duos for 2 quarter-tone clarinets (1972)
    • Suite for quarter-tone piano (1935-36)
  • Milan Ristić
    • Duo for violin and violoncello, Op. 11 (1938)[citation needed]
    • Septet for clarinet, 2 trombones, string trio, and doublebass, Op. 9 (1938)[citation needed]
    • Suite for unaccompanied violin, Op. 6 (1938)[citation needed]
    • Suite for ten strings, Op. 10 (1938)[citation needed]
    • Suite for four trombones, Op. 8 (1938, scheduled for performance during the 1939 ISCM Festival in Warsaw but the performance could not take place)[citation needed]

S

T

  • Tōru Takemitsu
  • James Tenney
    • Bridge for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart (1984)
  • Jukka Tiensuu
    • Kymmari for Decacorde (2016)
    • Anomal Dances Concerto for quarter-tone accordion and orchestra (2015)
    • Kuuhiomo a proludi in quarter tones for any ensemble of melody instruments (2015)
    • Arsenic and Old Lace for micro-tonally tuned harpsichord, string quartet (1990)
    • Narcissus for oboe and tape (1979)
  • Tui St. George Tucker
    • Amoroso for solo clarinet[citation needed]
    • Indian Summer for 2 baritones with 2 flutes, clarinet, bassoon, trombone, viola, and percussion[citation needed]
    • Little Pieces for quarter-tone piano[60]
    • My Melancholy Baby Fantasy for one player performing on two pianos at a right angle tuned a quarter-tone apart
    • Quartertone Carol for recorder trio
    • Quartertone Recorder Duets[60]
    • Quartertone Lullubies 1–3 for recorder trio
    • Romanza for solo recorder.[61]
    • Sarabande: Dance for Miriam Cooper, for microtonal harpsichord (1986)[62]
    • Sonata No. 1 for Solo Recorder ("The Bullfinch").[63]

W

  • Ivan Wyschnegradsky
    • Ainsi Parlait Zarathoustra, for four pianos two of which are tuned a quarter-tone sharp, Op. 17 (1929–1930, revised 1936)
    • 2 Chants sur Nietzsche, for baritone & 2 pianos in quarter tones, Op. 9 (1923)
    • Chant douloureux et étude, for violin and piano, Op. 6 (1918)[64]
    • Composition, for string quartet, Op. 43 (1960)
    • Cosmos, for 4 pianos in quarter tones, Op. 28 (1939–1940)[65]
    • Dialogue, for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart, eight hands, W.o.O. (1959)
    • Dithyrambe, for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart, Op. 12 (1923–1924)
    • Études sur les mouvements rotatoires, for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart, eight hands, Op. 45a.; for chamber orchestra, Op. 45c (1961)
    • Études sur les densités et les volumes, for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart, Op. 39b (1956)
    • Fragment symphonique No. 1, for four pianos two of which are tuned a quarter-tone sharp, Op. 23a; for orchestra, Op. 23c (1934, orch. vers. 1967)
    • Fragment symphonique No. 2, for four pianos two of which are tuned a quarter-tone sharp, timpani & percussions, Op. 24 (1937)
    • Fragment symphonique No. 3, for four pianos two of which are tuned a quarter-tone sharp & ad. lib. percussions, Op. 31 (1946)
    • Prélude et Fugue, Op. 21, for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart (1932)
    • Préludes dans tous les tons de l'échelle chromatique diatonisée à 13 sons, Op. 22, for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart (1934, revised 1960)
    • String Quartet No. 1, Op. 13 (1923–1924)
    • String Quartet No. 2, Op. 18 (1930–1931)
    • String Trio, Op. 53 (1979, unfinished, completed by Claude Ballif)
    • Variations sans thème et conclusion (five), for orchestra, Op. 33 (1951–52)[66]

Y

See also


Notes

  1. Saito 2008, p. 12.
  2. Bach, "Concert Variations", JanBach.com.
  3. Op de Coul 2012, "Uses quarter tones."
  4. Read 1990, p. 51.
  5. Somfai 1996, p. 269; Bayley 2001, p. 168
  6. Riley 1996, p. 275; Gagné 2012, p. 217
  7. Gagné 2012, p. 217; Read 1990, p. 52
  8. Read 1964, pp. 143–144.
  9. Gagné 2012, p. 217.
  10. Gagné 2012, p. 217; Read 1990, p. 58
  11. Boulez 1986, pp. 129–131.
  12. "Jacob Collier - in the Bleak Midwinter (Transcription)". YouTube.
  13. Gagné 2012, p. 217; Latham 2008, p. 11
  14. Saffle 2000, p. 230.
  15. Hinson 1983, pp. 52–53.
  16. Keislar 1991, p. 185, "The nine harps are divided into three groups of three and tuned in sixth-tones, and the flute plays in quarter-steps"
  17. Oteri 2004, n. 12, "At some point, he outfitted his entire trumpet section with four-valved trumpets whose additional valve allowed them to play quarter-tones"
  18. Bentoiu 2010, pp. 242–244.
  19. Patterson 2009, pp. 38–39.
  20. Anon. 2001, p. 347; Anon. 2007, p. 106
  21. Kurtz 2007, p. 232.
  22. "Georg Friedrich Haas: 3 Hommages", UniversalEdition.com.
  23. "The Legendary Microtonal Trio by Jeronimas Kačinskas – a challenge for performers". Music Information Centre Lithuania. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  24. "Classical Music". The New Yorker. Vol. 74, no. 1–10. p. 23.
  25. Steinitz 2003, p. 201. However, Duchesneau (2011, p. 135) states that Ramifications is Ligeti's "only work in quarter tones".
  26. Steinitz 2003, p. 183. However, Duchesneau (2011, p. 135) states that Ramifications is Ligeti's "only work in quarter tones".
  27. Clendinning 1993, p. 219; Duchesneau 2011, p. 135; Griffiths 2001; Roig-Francolí 1995, p. 244; Steinitz 2003, pp. 179–180; Toop 1999, pp. 134–135.
  28. Brown 1994, pp. 177–178.
  29. Froom 1994, p. 135.
  30. Fether 2005, pp. 5, 36, and 51.
  31. Fether 2005, pp. 36, and 105.
  32. Gagné 2012, p. 172.
  33. Benson 2007, p. 228.
  34. Brotbeck 2004, pp. 56–57.
  35. Stockhausen 1964, p. 15, "Konträr-Klangräume: 6 Pauken, deren Stimmung ganztönig, und zur Klavierstimmung vierteltönig verschoben [Contrasting sound spaces: 6 timpani, the whole tone of which is tuned and quarter-tone shifted to the piano tuning]".
  36. Hansen 2005, p. 285.
  37. Tucker 1970, p. 7, "An arrow head pointing down over a note lowers it approximately a quarter step".
    Hettrick 1971, "Both pieces require performing techniques not encountered in traditional music for recorder. The most striking is the production of quarter-tones, notated as pitches in the chromatic scale to be lowered slightly. Charts provided by the composer give fingering for all half- and quarter-tones from the low f' up to a precarious c''''."
  38. Tucker 1986, pp. 2–3, "'V' over a tone lowers it a quartertone … 'V' below a group of tones lowers that group a quartertone".
  39. Hettrick 1971.
    Tucker 1970, p. 4, "An arrow head pointing down over a note lowers it approximately a quarter step".
  40. Anon. 1997, p. 921.
  41. Read 1990, p. 76.
  42. Ysaÿe 1924, pp. 24, 26, 39, and 43.

References

Further reading


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