Composing microtonal melody

ENIn two chapters (“Structural Cycles in My Microtonal Compositions” and “Composing Microtonal Melody”) Rytis Mažulis opens his creative laboratory for composing microtonal music. The composer typically composes by defining cycles of proportional or mensural canons. Dealing with microtonal music, he argues, various problems of composing melody should be considered. The result of the compositional approach and technical means depends on which particular type of linear model is applied. According to Mažulis, there are five main categories of microtonal melodic models: the motif-based structure; the pendulum motion of the melodic line; microphonic contour; the gliding notes technique; and the resulting patterns. All of these models are illustrated with Mažulis’s vocal and instrumental compositions Sybilla (1996), Palindrome (1996), Talita cumi (1997), ajapajapam (2002), and Canon mensurabilis (2000). [From the publication p. 325]