Piano muta
I'm recreating this piece for Distributed Proofreaders. In the stave below page 127 it says muta, but doesn't say change to what key. If I were playing it, I would take it up 1/2 step to the D.C. and again to the FIN. Since I'm making an audio file, I want to know if that is the best option.
I also don't recognize the mark over the 1st volta. It looks like something more than a misprint, but I didn't find anything that resembled it in MuseScore. Do you know what it is? And do you know how it affects the music? Does it mean muta only applies to this section?
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Comments
I doubt the "muta" means anything about a key change in this context. Possibly it just indicates that this section represents a new theme, like labeling something "bridge".
No idea on the smudge over the first volta.
In reply to I doubt the "muta" means by Marc Sabatella
Smudge. I like smudges. They can be ignored! :)
This is my first encounter with muta and I found this definition online.
"A directive to a musician to change something, e.g., "muta in La" would mean change to an instrument in the key of A. Instruction to a musician to change, in mid-performance, either from one tuning to another, or from one instrument to another."
https://musicterms.artopium.com/m/Muta.htm
I listened to three versions of the song on YouTube. None of them had a key change, so I'm going with your idea that it means to "change" something only the musicians at the time understood.
Thanks again, Marc!
In reply to Smudge. I like smudges. They by judeeylander
Sometimes the term "muta" is also used to change (replace) the instrument.
For example, Harpsichord registers may be required to change.
I never saw it in the piano.
If a color change is required: Perhaps the player needs to press the "Mute" (soft) pedal.
It's just a guess, of course.
In reply to Sometimes the term "muta" is by Ziya Mete Demircan
Hard to give a definite answer without context, but in a piano piece I'd think this would
most likely refer to the use of a mute pedal (which in the 19th century not neccessarily
is equivalent to the una-corda pedal. There have been several echniques for muting the
instrument)
In reply to Hard to give a definite by rmattes
That's a good idea too. I did a little research to see if it would apply here.
"In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the piano had evolved to have three strings on most of the notes. The soft pedal of this time was more effective than today, since it was possible to use it to strike three, two or even just one string per note—this is the origin of the name "una corda", Italian for "one string". In modern pianos, the strings are spaced too closely to permit a true "una corda" effect—-if shifted far enough to strike just one string on one note, the hammers would also hit the string of the next note....
The use of the soft pedal is generally notated with the words una corda or due corde (Italian for one or two strings) to show when the pedal should begin being used, and tre corde or tutte le corde (meaning "three strings" or "all the strings") for when it should be released. There is discretion for the performer in its use, however, and it can be used when there is no notation when the performer believes its timbre or quietness is called for by the piece.--Wikipedia."
Since there is musical notation for using the soft pedal, "una corda", I don't think a softer sound is implied in this piece, however, I enjoyed reading about it. I'm a church musician and have never come across "una corda" before. This was a wonderful read. Thanks!
Additionally, in the bar before "muta" there is a one-beat pickup marked "forte". I doubt one beat would be played loudly and the successive eight bars would be muted. At least, not in this type of music. I also listened to three performances on YouTube. They were all played with the same loud and boisterous theme. One even had an audience jumping up and down!
In this case, and this case only, I'll use the idea of "bridge" provided by Marc Sabatella, and "changed" identifying very modest changes from the parts before and after the "muta". This was provided by Jm6stringer.
Thanks to all of you who have participated in my little quest. I really enjoy these forums! :)
In reply to That's a good idea too. I did by judeeylander
Since there is musical notation for using the soft pedal, "una corda", I don't think a softer sound is implied in this piece,
Careful, even so the Wikipedia article you quote isn't too clear about this: early pianos had
quite a variety of sound changing devices and 'una corda' was just one. Other types of "muting" mechanisms where swell shutters and different types of dampers. Have a look
at http://www.juramargulis.com/msp.php for an modern attempt to recreate these effects.
BTW - from what source is that fragment?
In reply to Since there is musical by rmattes
Now I'm embarrassed. I've lost the link to the online free book! I'll have to contact the postprocessor to get it again. I couldn't find it using Google search.
In the meantime, this is the information on the book.
Title: El payador 1916
Author: Lugones, Leopoldo, 1874-1938.
"Essay that portrays the life and the customs of the gaucho in the pampa, in particular of the payador, singer errant of romances. This work, published in 1916, was based on six lectures that the poet gave about Martin Fierro in 1913. Material provided by the National Library of Teachers, belonging to its digital collections." [translated from Portuguese]
https://www.educ.ar/recursos/70516/el-payador-de-leopoldo-lugones
While I only read and speak English fluently, transcribing music from around the world means I make liberal use of https://translate.google.com/. I want to understand what types of instruments were used and where they were most often played. In this pending e-book, most of the excerpts are plucked strings demonstrating style. These piano pieces are the full scores of the smaller samples.
In reply to Since there is musical by rmattes
Since the language of the text is in Spanish, I would think the idea of muta would be change rather than mute which is translated by the word sordina, similar to the Italian (sordino) and French (sourdine) words.
In reply to Since the language of the by mike320
"sor·di·no/sôrˈdēnō MUSIC
noun: sordino
plural noun: sordini
A mute, (on a piano) the dampers."
[This shows up as a Google definition, but I can't find the source link.]
I agree. All the pieces use standard Italian musical terms. If the composer/arranger wanted sordino they could have asked for it. Instead it is muta, which essentially means "change." The question was "change how?" For this piece, I'll stick with it being a bridge.
On the other hand, it wasn't a fruitless comment. I got to look it up and learn something new again. Thanks, Mike!
In reply to "sor·di·no/sôrˈdēnō by judeeylander
Lyrics of "La donna e mobile"
La donna è mobile // Woman is fickle (untrustworthy)
Qual piuma al vento, // Like a feather in the wind,
Muta d'accento — e di pensier. // She changes her voice — and her mind.
---
Muta d'accento :)
In reply to Lyrics of "La donna e by Ziya Mete Demircan
Interesting. LOL! ;)
The last three systems on the first page (disregard the measure with the fermata) are essentially identical to the three systems on the second page. The only thing 'changed' are two measures at the word 'muta' - which, I presume, specifically alerts the musician to those very modest changes.
Regards.
In reply to The last three systems on the by Jm6stringer
AHA! Someone with true discernment and insight. :)
Thank you, Jm6stringer. You have solved the musical puzzle of the day. Two Thumbs UP!