AtDDtA1: Epigraph

[Chris Broderick]

Will Layman sez re: Monk:

He played in a  
variety of unusual ways -- for example, using a whole
tone scale for  
his signature descending runs. 

So I say:

This runs to a lot of the musical themes of Pynchon. 
First is the fact that there are only two specific
whole tone scales in the 12-tone system (call them the
one that starts with C and the one that starts with C
sharp if y'wanna), which speaks to the doublings &
refractions of Iceland Spar.  Second is the presence
of that fundamental wolf tone, AKA the tritone.  That
famously cursed interval is also at the heart of the
Lydian mode (which is, for the record, just a major
scale with a tritone at the 4th note), of which much
is made in the Balkan sequences of AtD.  It has often
been associated with evil (probably because it is
rather off-center from a perfect Pythagorean 5th), but
is also a fundamental element of blues & modern jazz.

Also, Dave Monroe mentioned that the quote is not
literal, because we individuals do indeed experience
daylight.  I'd beg to differ from his assessment, if
only to say that it's always night on Earth somewhere.

-Chris




 
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