viren bakhshi
Well-Known Member
Attended a wonderful concert yesterday - the Haydn Barytontrio Budapest playing works of Joseph Haydn, and contemporaries of the 18th century. A trio consisting of a viola, a cello, and a baryton. The baryton, or viola di bordone, is a unique early instrument - the bowed strings of a bass viola, with additional sympathetic strings which can also be plucked. This was the first I was hearing and seeing this instrument.
The venue was the India International Centre auditorium, Delhi, a small, comfortable hall seating about 200 people - ideal for such chamber music. Of course, with good natural acoustics.
My overwhelming sensation as the first notes were played - what wonderful tone! How harmonious the music was! Elation at hearing such beautiful music pouring out. Emotionally uplifting.
Later, I thought of how inadequate conventional audiophile vocabulary is in conveying this experience. Separation, detail, soundstage, depth, gave no indication of the performance at all. Of course, you could clearly hear the instruments separately, but what came through was music as a harmonious whole.
Perhaps, we should be looking at these terms which better qualify music:
- tone : vocal or musical sound, accent or inflection expressive of a mood or emotion.
- timbre : the quality given to a sound by its overtones.
- sonority : sound, imposing or impressive in effect or style.
- harmony : tuneful sound, pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts.
If I want a part of that emotional high, at home, that I got at the concert, I have to reproduce music with these qualities intact.
But first, you have to recognize what these qualities are. That is why it is so important to attend live music concerts. You have to understand what you seek, or else, you seek blindly. Sorry for the blunt words, but that's what it is.
Tone...tone...tone!
Regards,
Viren
The venue was the India International Centre auditorium, Delhi, a small, comfortable hall seating about 200 people - ideal for such chamber music. Of course, with good natural acoustics.
My overwhelming sensation as the first notes were played - what wonderful tone! How harmonious the music was! Elation at hearing such beautiful music pouring out. Emotionally uplifting.
Later, I thought of how inadequate conventional audiophile vocabulary is in conveying this experience. Separation, detail, soundstage, depth, gave no indication of the performance at all. Of course, you could clearly hear the instruments separately, but what came through was music as a harmonious whole.
Perhaps, we should be looking at these terms which better qualify music:
- tone : vocal or musical sound, accent or inflection expressive of a mood or emotion.
- timbre : the quality given to a sound by its overtones.
- sonority : sound, imposing or impressive in effect or style.
- harmony : tuneful sound, pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts.
If I want a part of that emotional high, at home, that I got at the concert, I have to reproduce music with these qualities intact.
But first, you have to recognize what these qualities are. That is why it is so important to attend live music concerts. You have to understand what you seek, or else, you seek blindly. Sorry for the blunt words, but that's what it is.
Tone...tone...tone!
Regards,
Viren