Joel Mandelbaum
Encyclopedia
Joel Mandelbaum is an American
music composer and teacher, best known for his use of microtonal tuning
(notably the Just intonation
tuning and the 19ET
and the 31ET
). He also has written the first Ph.D. dissertation on microtonality, in 1961. He is married to stained glass artist Ellen Mandelbaum, and is the nephew of Abraham Edel
.
from the University of Indiana in Music Theory
in 1961. His thesis was focused on the 19-tone equal temperament
. He was teacher at Queens College of the City University of New York from 1961 to 1999 and was chairman of the music department.
It has been claimed that Mandelbaum became interested in microtonality
after listening to a lecture by Paul Hindemith
in which Hindemith inadequately debunked various alternative forms of tuning. He began a correspondence with Prof. Adriaan Fokker
which led to a six-week stay in Haarlem
in 1963, during which he composed to Euler's genera
under Fokker's tutelage. The result was "10 Studies in 31-Tone Temperament" premiered at the Fokker organ in Haarlem.
Mandelbaum's motivation to use the 31-tone temperament
arose from its close approximation to just intonation
; Mandelbaum preferred the equal temperament to exact just tuning out of convenience, as it produced one tuning of a keyboard with which it was possible to explore approximations of chords to just tuning in any key. In spite of being well-known for exploring alternate tunings, Mandelbaum still uses conventional tuning in about 80% of his music. Mandelbaum attributes his use of conventional tuning to his reluctance to use keyed instruments (such as woodwinds) in tunings other than those that they were designed for.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music composer and teacher, best known for his use of microtonal tuning
Microtonal music
Microtonal music is music using microtones—intervals of less than an equally spaced semitone. Microtonal music can also refer to music which uses intervals not found in the Western system of 12 equal intervals to the octave.-Terminology:...
(notably the Just intonation
Just intonation
In music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of small whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval. The two notes in any just interval are members of the same harmonic series...
tuning and the 19ET
19 equal temperament
In music, 19 equal temperament, called 19-TET, 19-EDO, or 19-ET, is the tempered scale derived by dividing the octave into 19 equal steps . Each step represents a frequency ratio of 21/19, or 63.16 cents...
and the 31ET
31 equal temperament
In music, 31 equal temperament, 31-ET, which can also be abbreviated 31-TET, 31-EDO , , is the tempered scale derived by dividing the octave into 31 equal-sized steps...
). He also has written the first Ph.D. dissertation on microtonality, in 1961. He is married to stained glass artist Ellen Mandelbaum, and is the nephew of Abraham Edel
Abraham Edel
Abraham Edel was a North American philosopher and ethicist. He was the younger brother of North American literary critic and biographer Leon Edel, the uncle of composer Joel Mandelbaum. He was married three times; the first two were fellow academics and co-authors.Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,...
.
Life & Music
Mandelbaum received his Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Indiana in Music Theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
in 1961. His thesis was focused on the 19-tone equal temperament
19 equal temperament
In music, 19 equal temperament, called 19-TET, 19-EDO, or 19-ET, is the tempered scale derived by dividing the octave into 19 equal steps . Each step represents a frequency ratio of 21/19, or 63.16 cents...
. He was teacher at Queens College of the City University of New York from 1961 to 1999 and was chairman of the music department.
It has been claimed that Mandelbaum became interested in microtonality
Microtonal music
Microtonal music is music using microtones—intervals of less than an equally spaced semitone. Microtonal music can also refer to music which uses intervals not found in the Western system of 12 equal intervals to the octave.-Terminology:...
after listening to a lecture by Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
in which Hindemith inadequately debunked various alternative forms of tuning. He began a correspondence with Prof. Adriaan Fokker
Adriaan Fokker
Adriaan Daniël Fokker , was a Dutch physicist and musician.Fokker was born in Buitenzorg, Dutch East Indies ; he was a cousin of the aeronautical engineer Anthony Fokker...
which led to a six-week stay in Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
in 1963, during which he composed to Euler's genera
Euler-Fokker genus
In music theory and tuning, an Euler–Fokker genus , named after Leonhard Euler and Adriaan Fokker, is a musical scale in just intonation whose pitches can be expressed as products of some of the members of some multiset of generating prime factors...
under Fokker's tutelage. The result was "10 Studies in 31-Tone Temperament" premiered at the Fokker organ in Haarlem.
Mandelbaum's motivation to use the 31-tone temperament
31 equal temperament
In music, 31 equal temperament, 31-ET, which can also be abbreviated 31-TET, 31-EDO , , is the tempered scale derived by dividing the octave into 31 equal-sized steps...
arose from its close approximation to just intonation
Just intonation
In music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of small whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval. The two notes in any just interval are members of the same harmonic series...
; Mandelbaum preferred the equal temperament to exact just tuning out of convenience, as it produced one tuning of a keyboard with which it was possible to explore approximations of chords to just tuning in any key. In spite of being well-known for exploring alternate tunings, Mandelbaum still uses conventional tuning in about 80% of his music. Mandelbaum attributes his use of conventional tuning to his reluctance to use keyed instruments (such as woodwinds) in tunings other than those that they were designed for.