Tsantsa Circle Dance

The story:

This is a piece based on the otonalities of the Partch Tonality Diamond. The primary tonality is what I call D++, an 8:7 above the center of a tonality diamond based on C as 1:1. The song moves around the diamond in a kind of circle of chords, from D++ (8:7) to F (4:3) to A flat (8:5), C (1:1), G-- (16:11), to A# (16:9) and back to D++. If you voice the chords just right, you can go around this cycle three times and end up with a kind of chromatic scale that drops an octave. The song spends most of its time in D++ major. The opening section uses a horn glissando on a triad 7:9:11 to the triad 8:10:12. The glide is gradual over a whole note. At the start of the glide, there is a prominent difference tone three octaves below the 9:11:14. At the end, the difference tone is one octave below the 10:12:16. I play around with shifting difference tones all throughout the piece, some more prominent than others. The instruments used are trombones, tuba, flute, cello, violin, guitar, finger piano, and percussion. Bass gongs that glissando down appear at different times. The title is taken from the South American native Jivaro warriors, who smeared themselves with blood and danced with the shrunken heads of their enemies dramatizing the killing. Tsantsa is the native word for shrunken head. Imagine hearing the trombone glissandos across the forest valley, the triumphant victory dance of revenge. Set the riffmobile to triademonium, sit back and listen to the changes. Notice your head getting smaller?
The voicings of the chords are what make the circle of tonalities interesting. For example, to move through D++, F, Ab, C, G--, D++, I voice the D++ as 4:5:6, F as 3:4:5, Ab as 5:6:8, C as 4:5:6, G- as 5:6:8, and D++ now as 3:4:5. Repeat the cycle with F as 5:6:8, Ab as 4:5:6, C as 3:4:5, G- as 4:5:6, and D++ as 5:6:8. The third time, voice F as 4:5:6, Ab as 3:4:5, C as 5:6:8, and G- as 3:4:5, back to D++ as 4:5:6. This creates a descending chromatic-like scale on the high notes of the chords. I call them A+, A-, Ab, G, G--, F, Gb, F, E--, E, D--, D, D++, C, C, C, B--, A#, back to A+, the 3:2 above D++. Notice that it doesn't really always descend. Sometimes I hang out at G- or C for a clean 4:5:6. Sometimes I include the 7:9:11 or its revoicing as 9:11:14, or 11:14:18. Sometimes there is a glissando from the lower number ratios to the higher or visa versa. Lots of activity at all times.

The rhythm is based on cycles of 2:4:6 or 4:6:2 or 6:2:4, simultaneously or opposed. The sounds are all created using Csound and the McGill University Master Samples, plus some of my own for the finger piano.

There is a great deal of indeterminacy in the music. At any on point, each of the instruments has a wide range of choices for what to play. The realizations displayed as source code can can result in thousands of different combinations. I posted two versions on MP3.com. The first one is called Tsansta Circle Dance. The second is called Circle Dance: Tsansta Celebration. They are different in many ways, but all play the same chord and voicing progressions.

A sample of the source code for the bridge section:

&d++maj12-all1. &f__maj12-all1. &ab_maj12-all1. &c__maj12-all1. &g--maj12-all1. &a#_maj12-all1.

The rest of the source code.