Klarinet Archive - Posting 000418.txt from 2005/02

From: "Karl Krelove" <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Major vs. minor --- a comment
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 09:11:00 -0500

Doesn't 'b' signify B-flat and 'h' B-natural? Hence the marking of
"Klarinette in B" in German parts? I never heard before of their use to
signify "moll" or "dur."

Karl Krelove

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Georg K u hner [mailto:520045578938-0001@-----.de]
> Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 3:44 AM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] Major vs. minor --- a comment
>
>
> Am 26.02.2005 22:52 Uhr schrieb "Ormondtoby Montoya" unter
> <ormo2ndtoby@-----.net>:
>
> > Klarinet has discussed (more than once) the culture dependency of the
> > 'feelings' which are evoked by major and minor scales. I do not intend
> > to defend any particular position, but here's a comment:
> >
> > (I saw the following when I had the dictionary open to "diminutions".)
> >
> >
> >
> > "Dur" means "major" in German, and "Moll" means minor. Yet "dur" and
> > "moll" also mean "hard" and "soft" in German.
> >
> > As many of you know (but I didn't know until today), the letter "b" was
> > originally used to indicate whether a scale was 'major' or 'minor'. If
> > the b's loop was square, the scale was 'major', and if the loop was
> > round, the scale was "minor'. Eventually in the German language, the
> > sharp corners of a square-looped 'b' evolved into "dur" because the
> > corners were 'hard', and the round-looped 'b' became "moll" or 'soft'.
>
> Originally it meant b-rotundus
> And b-quadratus
>
> The bottom of the b-quadratus fell out and it became a h
>
> That's all
>
> Regards Georg
> >
> > In the English language, the words major and minor summon 'feelings' of
> > rank and size, rather than of tactile sensations. The 'minor' ranks in
> > most organizations can only complain (hence they are they are
> > 'plaintive'), whereas the 'major' ranks and feel their power.
> >
> > A German speaker, however, whether he likes it or not, is describing the
> > two scales as 'hard' or 'soft'.
> >
> > I don't ascribe any significance to this except that these responses to
> > major/minor represent two different modes of 'feeling'. This example
> > strengthens the concept that the interpretation of major and minor vary
> > from one culture to the next.
> >
> > However, there is also a unity that is buried very deeply in our sensory
> > systems.
> >
> > Yes, all metaphors and analogies fall apart eventually; but 'plaintive'
> > does relate to 'submission', and so does softness --- not tensing one's
> > muscles in order to fight or escape, not picking up a 'hard' weapon or
> > donning armor in order to fight or defend, welcoming a touch, not
> > assuming a 'hard' expression of defiance, and so forth
> >
> > So there is a similarity in both languages if you feel that it's
> > appropriate to look deeply enough.
> >
> > ....just a thought.
> >

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Wed Feb 25 - only 15 donations short of the goal. Nothing |
| in life is free - including 5 servers and bandwidth. A reed |
| costs a couple of bucks - what is the list worth? |
| https://secure.donax-us.com/donation/ |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org