[CAUT] temperament for Schubert (Fred Sturm)

David Doremus algiers_piano at bellsouth.net
Tue Jan 13 05:50:04 PST 2009


A440A at aol.com wrote:
> The important thing is that the tuning increase the emotional effect of 
> the music, and not call attention to itself.  That means that there is a 
> limit when deciding how wide the thirds are allowed to be. This limit depends on 
> the instrument, (with the modern piano arguing for less dissonance than a 
> fortepiano or harpsichord), how the composer used the 'color' in the temperament, 
> and the audience's expectations.  

Hi Ed, I might argue somewhat the opposite. I learned to tune non equal 
temperaments on the harpsichord and the thirds are much more prominent 
there than they are on the relatively less brilliant piano. This may not 
apply to some of the asian PSOs I've tuned in marble foyers...<sigh>.. 
But I actually do think the pianos can take quite a bit more crunchiness 
in the thirds than harpsichords or organs, a pure third on the organ 
sounds stunning, on a piano it just sounds lifeless. ET thirds 
throughout a harpsichord are almost unbearable. JMHO!


--Dave
   New Orleans



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