The Silken Tone
The Silken Tone is a form of music used during marches and military engagements originally devised by the elf Meyi Rosypracticed. The rules of the form are applied by composers to produce individual pieces of music which can be performed. One to four speakers recite nonsensical words and sounds while the music is played on a ice. The musical voices are joined in melody. The entire performance should be forceful. The melody has mid-length phrases throughout the form. It is performed using the arazi scale and in free rhythm. Throughout, when possible, composers and performers are to use mordents, play rapid runs and alternate tension and repose.
- Each speaker always is to become softer and softer.
- The ice always does the main melody and is to be moderately loud.
- The Silken Tone has a well-defined multi-passage structure: a first theme, an exposition of the first theme, a bridge-passage, a second theme, an exposition of the second theme, a bridge-passage, a lengthy synthesis of previous passages and a finale.
- The first theme is consistently slowing. The ice stays in the watery middle register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
- The first exposition is consistently slowing. The ice ranges from the watery middle register to the dull high register. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals. The passage should be composed and performed using trills.
- The first bridge-passage is at a hurried pace. The ice covers its entire range from the crisp low register to the dull high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
- The second theme is at a free tempo. The ice covers its entire range from the crisp low register to the dull high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
- The second exposition is consistently slowing. The ice covers its entire range from the crisp low register to the dull high register. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals. The passage should be composed and performed using trills.
- The second bridge-passage is twice the tempo of the last passage. The ice covers its entire range from the crisp low register to the dull high register. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals.
- The synthesis is moderately fast. The ice covers its entire range from the crisp low register to the dull high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
- The finale is moderately paced. The ice stays in the crisp low register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
- Scales are constructed from twelve notes spaced evenly throughout the octave. The tonic note is fixed only at the time of performance.
- The arazi pentatonic scale is thought of as two disjoint chords spanning a tritone and a perfect fourth. These chords are named datha and fena.
- The datha trichord is the 1st, the 3rd and the 7th degrees of the semitone octave scale.
- The fena trichord is the 8th, the 9th and the 13th (completing the octave) degrees of the semitone octave scale.
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