In 1915, the Russian composer, Nicolas Obukof (b. Moscow, 1892), produced a work published in a new notation which abolishes the sharp and the flat and thus avoids duplication of signs. He ascribes new names to the notes represented by the black keys of the keyboard, viz., Lo, To, Ra, Tu, Bi. These were also derived from the ancient hymn from which the other syllables were derived by Guido of Arezzo. His scale reads Do, Lo (C sharp), Re, Te (D sharp), Ili, Fa, Re (F sharp), Sol, Tu (G sharp), La, Bi (A sharp), Si. For the ordinary diatonic notes he uses the usual signs. For the sharp he uses the sign X or Q.
The English composer, John H. Foulds, has used tertia-tones in his orchestral Music-Pictures, op. 33 (1913), and in parts of his World Requiem, op. 6o (1923). He marks his two-thirds sharp ened tone , and his two-thirds flattened tone [3 Ivan Wischegradsky, a Russian composer, who has written much music on the quarter-tone system, has used the following signs : Ascending, one quarter-tone sharp, two quarter-tones sharp, #; three quarter-tones sharp, 4; descending, one-quarter-tone flat, rt• ; two quarter-tones flat, b three quarter-tones flat, 11, Alois Haba, a Czech composer, who has quarter-tone pianos made for him by the firm of Foerster, at Georgswalde, in Bo hemia, has written pianoforte pieces and also string quartets on the quarter-tone system. He uses the existing notation for the ordinary tones and semitones, and adds new signs like "acci dentals" for the new quarter-tone notes. Thus C raised a quarter tone is represented by S and C raised three quarter-tones by D flattened a quarter-tone by J and D flattened three quarter tones by 3.
But the best quarter-tone notation will not be one that is founded on the existing notation, which is already too compli cated and over-burdened with signs ; it will be one much simpler than the old. For our semitonal system we have 39 signs for but 12 sounds. A well-designed quarter-tone system will only need 24 signs for 24 sounds. According to Haba, the new system will give no fewer than 288 new intervals; and 253 new three note chords, with an infinite number of 4-, and 6-note chords.
Reform must certainly take the way of simplification, and a new notation is long overdue. The great obstacle is, of course, the cost of replacing the immense amount of music already published in the existing notation.
David and M. Lussy, Histoire de la notation musicale (Paris, 1882) ; H. Riemann, Notenschrift and Notendruck (1896) ; C. F. Abdy Williams, The Story of Notation (19°3) ; Robert Eitner, Bibliographic der Musik: Sammelwerke des r6. and 17. Jahr hunderts (Berlin, 1877) ; Friedrich Chrysander, "Abriss einer Ge schichte des Musikdrucks vom Jahrh.," Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Leipzig, 1879, Nos. 11-16) ; W. H. James Weale, A Descrip tive Catalogue of Rare Manuscripts and Printed Works, chiefly Liturgi cal (Historical Music Loan Exhibition, Albert Hall, London, Jan.–Oct. 1885) (London, i886) ; W. Barclay Squire, "Notes on Early Music Printing," in the Zeitschrift bibliographica, p. ix. s. (London, 1896) ; Grove's Dict. of Music; Dent's Dict. of Modern Music; and works named in text. (A. E. Hur.,.)