Whereas Western European bells are tuned on a lathe to produce familiar major and minor chords, a Russian bell is prized for its individual, untuned voice, produced by an overlay of numerous partial frequencies, with only approximate relations to traditional pitches. Where Western European bells play melodies, Russian bell ringing consists of rhythmic layered peals.
—Elif Batuman
“The Bells,” The New Yorker, 27 April 2009
