US Presidential 2016 candidate, Ted Cruz, announces tritone ban.

As the US elections approach, let's reflect on a curious proposal from one of the 2016 presidential candidates, Ted Cruz. In an unusual stance, he suggested banning the tritone due to its alleged satanic association. This idea may strike some as reminiscent of medieval thinking, considering the tritone's historical association with the "devil in music." While such views might seem outdated in modern times, it serves as a reminder that diverse perspectives and beliefs can influence even political discourse. As we navigate the upcoming elections, let's cherish the open exchange of ideas while keeping an eye on progress and inclusivity in our society.

The tritone: The sound of the devil's interval and unlocking ...

“A pair of tones separated by three consecutive whole steps may at first seem perfectly harmless,” Cruz said, “but when played together or in melodic succession they pose a direct threat to the moral fabric of our great nation.”

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Once Upon a Time - by James Dillon

Once Upon a Time James Dillon Once Upon a Time...Ircam When the premiere of a work called ‘Once Upon a Time’ at the Huddersfield Festival of 1980, James Dillon was immediately thrust centre stage. Hitherto, James Dillon's success had been variable. Mainly learning his craft in libraries rather than formal institutions and without the prospect of a performance at the end, many of his early pieces were left incomplete. The first substantial work Babble (1974-6) was a brief glimpse of things to come. Although now James Dillon disregards the rigorous architectural design in which everything 'is mapped out despite the material'. After the first section was rehearsed by the newly formed Charles Ives Choir who were perplexed by some of the graphic notation, the work was abandoned. His momentary interest in serialism in ‘Dillug-Kefitsah’ (1976) encouraged James Dillon to examine the seemingly paradoxical notion of a 'parametrical discipline' wo

What is Stockhausen's legacy?

Karlheinz Stockhausen is one of the most important composers of the post war era. He is partially responsible for the creation of the post war modernist music. But what is his true legacy? Was he the leading composer in his field? Did he invent the 'timbralist' idea of generating music from a single sound? Well, he did accomplish that concept with "Stimmung'' (Voice) which is completely designed around the single chord of a B flat ninth . But he wasn't the first. Giacinto Scelsi wrote "Quatro pezzi per orchestre" which is based a single note per movement and that work was written in 1959. Quatro pezzi per orchestre - Scelsi I seriously doubt whether Stockhausen knew about Scelsi's achievement when he wrote Stimmung in 1977. Perhaps one of his greatest works is " Gruppen'' (Groups) composed for three orchestras. Did it change the way we use the orchestra? He was a pioneer, especially in the early stages of hi

In the shadow of a genius.

Recently, I have discovered a fascinating revelation about the composers we admire so much. That behind many geniuses, there usually is a predecessor lurking in the background. It reminds of that often quoted phrase by Picasso A good artist borrows and great artist steals Now, I am not suggesting that the composers who I mention are stealing peoples' ideas - there is no evidence to support that fact. However, I am suggesting that the idea of a genius who came from nowhere may not be accurate. Let's take the case of Ernest Fanelli. Who? You might ask. He is a significant but unknown person in the development of impressionism. He is an Italian born composer living in Paris. He composed a good deal of 'new' music at the end of the nineteenth century. His ideas were quite radical; his instrumentation included harmonics, sul pont., he used wordless choruses. Unfortunately, he wasn't as talented a composer as Debussy and his music wasn'

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