[CAUT] temperament for Schubert

[David Love]

That seems a bit strong.  It's just an observation of possible explanations.


 

David Love

www.davidlovepianos.com

 

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Keith
Roberts
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 6:20 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] temperament for Schubert

 

#3 is outrageous. It is a statement by the someone who thinks they are part
of the upper crust and therefore somehow superior. It doesn't take education
to appreciate beauty and it's a stretch to think most music majors can tell
the difference. Read Nickle and Dimed in America if you want the opinion of
a PhD on the intelligence difference and the perception of the rich about
the poorer segments of society.

Keith Roberts 

 


 

On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 9:02 PM, Israel Stein <custos3 at comcast.net> wrote:

 

Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:36:56 -0800 "David Love"
<davidlovepianos at comcast.net> wrote:

Along these lines my experience suggests that non equal temperaments sound
best on lower tension scales where the upper partials are not so prominent.
Historical instruments, not surprisingly, have very low tension scales when
compared to the modern piano.  In spite of the fact that the plucked
harpsichord with the use of a plectrum instead of a hammer tends to excite
the higher partials proportionately more than a hammer would on the same
instrument, the fundamental tone is still quite dominant.  I wonder whether
the move away from non equal temperaments in the modern era doesn't have
something to do with the ever increasing scale tensions that have taken
place during the same time.  In this respect, I find the imposition of non
equal temperaments on modern instruments to be less pleasing than on their
historical counterparts.      

David,

I have actually heard this cited as one of the factors in the move from WT
to ET. There are others:
1. Greater dependence by composers dynamics for expression rather than key
choice, made possible by the greater dynamic range of higher tension
instruments
2. Larger performance venues with the rise of subscription concerts,
supplanting homes of the nobility, drawing rooms and salons. Subtleties of
temperament are therefore less audible.
3. Shift in audiences from nobility to the rising bourgeoisie. While men and
women of the nobility often received extensive musical training and were
capable of appreciating the subtleties of temperament - children of the
bourgeoise merely aped habits of the nobility (hence "subscription concerts
- they couldn't afford music in their homes). These "arrivistes" rarely had
the sort of musical education previously given to nobles - and therefore
were less sophisticated audiences, not capable of appreciating the
subtleties of temperament.
4. Greater inharmonicity that results from greater string tension tends to
fuzz the subtleties of unequal temperament.

That's all I can remember right now. I believe there is more.

Israel Stein

 

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