What I've learned today

[LMcD]

Having been encouraged by a review of last night's Prom to make the acquaintance of Pelion and Ossa, I decided to further broaden and/or deepen my knowledge and understanding of things both musical and non-musical by finding out what 'notes inégales' are.
'A performance practice, mainly from the Baroque and Classical music eras, in which some notes with equal written time values are performed with unequal durations, usually as alternating long and short'. I shall endeavour to listen out for this in future. Apparently this technique has also recently become more common in jazz performance. Ironic, perhaps, that it seems to have originated in the land of Liberté, Fraternité, Egalité.
It appears that, like the animals on the farm - one of whom was of course named after a famous Frenchman - some notes are more equal than others.

[Dave2002]

Indeed - in some jazz performers use "swing", though this is not a rigid thing - just a slight disturbance of the rhythm from strict notation. It's not a strict equivalent of triplets - first two tied - or dotted notes followed by a quaver.

In centuries gone by double dotting was favoured at one time - but it seems that like many things this was dependent on fashion, and also country. There were different practices in Germany and France though musicians on both sides of whatever borders were in place at the time were aware of the differences and could adapt to suit styles.

[Beresford]

For me, knowing little about music theory, hearing notes inégales (without knowing quite what was going on) was one of the things that rescued Bach performances, and others, from the sewing machine style delivery that was common in the 1950's and 60's. Another major thing of course was Baroque instruments, with gut strings.

[LMcD]

For me, knowing little about music theory, hearing notes inégales (without knowing quite what was going on) were one of the things that rescued Bach performances, and others, from the sewing machine style delivery that was common in the 1950's and 60's. Another major thing of course was Baroque instruments, with gut strings.

Does your comment about sewing machines also apply to Singers of that era?

[Pulcinella]

Does your comment about sewing machines also apply to Singers of that era?

Princess Edmond de Polignac (friend of Falla/Poulenc, etc; concerts in her salon) was of course from the Singer sewing-machine family: her maiden name was the splendid Winaretta Singer.

[LMcD]

Princess Edmond de Polignac (friend of Falla/Poulenc, etc; concerts in her salon) was of course from the Singer sewing-machine family: her maiden name was the splendid Winaretta Singer.

Perhaps we could have a sewing thread ..... and one about composers and performers from a decidedly non-musical background - Beecham, Poulenc, Armstrong Gibbs and Ives for example.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Princess Edmond de Polignac (friend of Falla/Poulenc, etc; concerts in her salon) was of course from the Singer sewing-machine family: her maiden name was the splendid Winaretta Singer.

Poor-quality singers probably gave her the needle

[LMcD]

Poor-quality singers probably gave her the needle

There's usually a snag in these cases.

[LeMartinPecheur]

There's usually a snag in these cases.

A-hem, getting a bit close to the border there LMcD!

[Joseph K]

Apparently this technique has also recently become more common in jazz performance.

It was there from the start.

[Bryn]

Perhaps we could have a sewing thread ..... and one about composers and performers from a decidedly non-musical background - Beecham, Poulenc, Armstrong Gibbs and Ives for example.

"Ives"? His father, George, was a band-master who taught music theory and various instruments. Music was central to Charles Ives's life from the start. However, like his father, Charles was also an astute businessman.

[LeMartinPecheur]

"Ives"? His father, George, was a band-master who taught music theory and various instruments. Music was central to Charles Ives's life from the start. However, like his father, Charles was also an astute businessman.

And IIRC, part of George's musical training for Charles was to make him sing a tune accurately against the accompaniment in a different key. Well, that was never going to be the slightest use to a composer was it?

[LMcD]

And IIRC, part of George's musical training for Charles was to make him sing a tune accurately against the accompaniment in a different key. Well, that was never going to be the slightest use to a composer was it?

Charles Ives was born into a well-to-do family who made their initial money by manufacturing and selling hats. They later branched out successfully into other businesses. Charles's father was an exception. I'm happy to replace 'decidedly' with 'generally' in #6.
(From hat stand to bandstand .....)

[Richard Barrett]

It was there from the start.

Quite. It's a defining feature of jazz in fact, I would say. (Do you know Gunther Schuller's book Early Jazz by the way? It was a revelation to me.)

[LMcD]

In my search for greater knowledge and attenuation, I found a definition/explanation of 'preamp attenuation', but I'm afraid it made no sense to me after several readings. Never mind ... the search continues.