Arlington Recital Analysis

RECITAL beta
Mapping the emotional topography of Ernesto Nazareth’s Tangos Brasileiros and Heitor Villa-Lobos’s Cirandas against the physical realities of historical well-temperaments.

Repertoire & Tension Analysis

We are actively exploring the interaction of highly chromatic key centers against various historical and modern temperaments to determine the ideal aesthetic for the concert. Below are the theoretical tension scores (1 = Pure, 10 = Wolf) mapped across the 14 recital pieces.

# Composer Piece Primary Key ET 1/4 Comma Werckmeister III Vallotti Coleman 16 Mild Victorian
1NazarethFon FonB♭ Major545544
2NazarethEsta ChumbadoD♭ Major510 (Wolf)9976
3NazarethBrejeiroA Major537655
4NazarethJangadeiroE♭ Major547765
5NazarethRemandoA Major537655
6NazarethOdeonC♯ minor510 (Wolf)8866
7Villa-LobosTerezinha de JesusC Major51 (Pure)2324
8Villa-LobosA CondessaF Major51 (Pure)2334
9Villa-LobosSenhora Dona SanchaD minor523434
10Villa-LobosO Cravo BrigouC Major51 (Pure)2324
11Villa-LobosPobre CegaG♯ minor510 (Wolf)8876
12Villa-LobosPassa GaviãoA Major537655
13Villa-LobosXô, Passarinho!F minor558776
14Villa-LobosVamos Atrás da Serra, CalungaD Major525445

Analysis: ET maintains a flat emotional topography (constant score of 5). 1/4 Comma is perfectly pure in simple keys but broken (wolf) in remote keys. Werckmeister and Vallotti exhibit massive dynamic ranges of tension, injecting immense character into the remote keys of Nazareth and Villa-Lobos.

Project Resources & Logistics

This recital analysis serves as the foundation for a broader research project exploring the intersection of late-Romantic/early-modern highly chromatic music and historical tuning systems.

View PTG Conference Logistics & Expectations
View the Research Project Outline