[CAUT] value of WT(long), (was Speaking of Bach)

[Porritt, David]

Ed Foote (A440A at aol.com) wrote:

--- big snip ---
     Et requires more effort than any of the WT's, unless you are using a 
machine, in which there is no difference.  And to see it as "imposing" as opposed 
to offering additional tonal resources, that is a bias that most musicians I 
work with do not share.  
    How are you measuring "value"?  The classical musicians I work with are 
amazed at how much better their pianos sound when taken out of strict ET.  I am 
talking about professional pianists here. So are many jazz artists. So are 
all the amateur players at home that I tune for.  I can't remember the last time 
an amateur pianist preferred ET after I gave them a mild Victorian style of 
tuning.  

--- big snip ---

I have really enjoyed reading these posts on ET, WT, MT etc. over the past few days.  I know I look like I might have been around when Beethoven was here but he does predate me some.  I don't know what he heard, what he liked etc.  No one really does.

Though I've tried to promote interest in non-equal temperaments simply because I believe that as an academic institution we should be aware of, and know something about them.  I've failed to stimulate much interest so I don't know very well how musicians would react.  On the other hand, Ed has succeeded in making good musicians aware of the possibilities of non-equal tunings so I have to take him at his word on the effects on the music that his clientele are reporting.  It is about the music after all.  

Thank you all for the stimulating discussion.

dave

David M. Porritt, RPT
dporritt at smu.edu