Super harmonic series - instrument playing on the harmonic series
Last time I raised the example from Claude Vivier, spelling chords on a small part of harmonic series. The link is here. He expanded this idea further to cover wider partials. It is impossible to cover the whole harmonic series of a note since a series is infinite. But we can consider covering, for example, the first 16 partials. Each instrument differs from the other mainly due to the individual volume difference of the individual harmonics. If I can manually fine-tune the volume of every single harmonic, by assigning each harmonic partials to an individual instrument. Since every instrument has its own harmonic series, on top of that, it would develop a very complex pattern of harmonic series (I try to call it superharmonic series).
This is a chord example from Vivier's Lonely Child (m.78). He is roughly spelling the Eb harmonic series of 22 partials. Volin and viola sections are in divisi. In the natural sound of harmonic series, the fundamental frequency (the lowest) should be the loudness. In Vivier's case, it is inverted the upper partials are louder. It brings out the harmonic and provides a hazy timbre, sounds like harmonics but on a bigger scale.
M.78 String section The wind section is omitted due to the very soft dynamic. |
A simultaneous chord. Dynamic in parentheses |
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