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127Tbilisi State Conservatory in the mid 1970s, and parallel fifths were still the most fearedmistake for the students.Anther feature of the twisongur style is a very specific scale with a range of morethan an octave:Fig. 8. Twisongur scaleThe appearance of F and then F# an octave higher is particularly interesting. Fromthe point of view of European scale systems the note F# cannot be a part of the scale. Itjust does not make any sense. The eighth step of the scale (F#) must be the “octaverepetition” of the first step of the scale – F (“tonic”). And the tonic is the most importantand stable step of the scale. Therefore, within the basic rules of the European classicalmusical system the Icelandic scale F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G makes as much sense as athree-eyed human face. But of course, this is simply because the Icelandic scale is notbased on the octave (eight note) scale system. The presence of the augmented octavepoints to the scales of the fifths diatonic system in Icelandic polyphonic singing (you mayremember this scale from our discussion of the scales of Georgian traditional polyphonicmusic). This scale is created by two five-note rings, tied together (F, G, A, B, C, tied toC, D, E, F#, G. See Gogotishvili, 1982, 2004). The most important feature of this type ofscale is that the fifths must be always perfect. Perfect fifths always cause the appearanceof augmented fourths and augmented octaves (this is unavoidable). This is exactly whathappens in the Icelandic twisongur.Another very interesting feature of the Icelandic twisongur is the wide use of theLydian scale. In its “classical” understanding the Lydian scale is a string of white keys onthe piano from F to the next F. This scale was never used by the greatest Europeanclassical composers (until the romantic style composers of the 19 th century, like Chopin).The augmented fourth step of the Lydian scale (B) was particularly avoided as it wasconsidered to be the “ugliest interval”. In some cultures (for example, in many Middle-Eastern cultures) this interval is traditionally considered the harshest and is very muchavoided. In medieval European professional music this interval was also very muchavoided, and was given a special name “Triton” (“three” “tones”, as it consists of threefull tones, instead of the “normal” two full tones and a half tone to make a perfect fourth).So, the Lydian scale for the European musical system, although it is the “ugliest” scale, isstill an octave scale with “proper” seven notes (F, G, A, B, C, D, E, and at the end, ofcourse, again F). But in the system of the fifths diatonic scales, it is the perfect fifth thatrules, not the perfect octave, so this troubling high fourth step of the Lydian scale (B)causes the appearance of the incredible F# in the twisongur scale. This is a fifth diatonicscale on a Lydian basis.There could be more than two singers and two parts in twisongur as well: “Moreelaborate versions of twisongur, with doublings at the octave for other vocal parts, and agreat variety of freer forms, were performed in sacred and secular settings” (Hopkins,2000:403). In later forms of twisongur parallel fifths could be sometimes replaced byunisons. Gregorian Chants and psalms could be performed in twisongur style as well.