[CAUT] Speaking of Chopin...

[Israel Stein]

Gang,

Speaking of Chopin, I have here a little excerpt from a rather scathing 
contemporary review of his music (out of a very fun little book that I 
highly recommend - "Lexicon of Musical Invective" by Nicholas Slonimsky. 
It's a collection of reviews panning some of the greatest composers - 
starting from Beethoven).
Anyway, L. Rellstab writes on August 2, 1833 for the Berlin publication 
"Iris" about the three Nocturnes opus 9: "Furthermore, Chopin has again 
not failed to choose the remotest keys, B flat minor, B major and, of 
course, E flat Major". In general his music is being panned for its 
wild, crude sound - often citing key choice. Now, if quasi-equal 
temperament is being used - what difference does key choice make? Would 
Herr Rellstab be so bent out of shape about having to listen to B flat 
minor if it didn't sound much different from D minor? Whatever tuning 
system Chopin used, those outer keys must have sounded quite wild for 
reviewers to object to them so vehemently...

Israel Stein