Fred Sturm wrote: > ....prejudices about what a piece in the key of E-flat should convey > might well take on a life of their own, long after any possible > connection to where the "wolf" was in that key has ceased to have any > practical reality. > In any case, to make a solid case about key color and temperament by > numerical analysis based on predominance of pieces in various keys, you > really need to go beyond the keyboard. Exactly. > Is the prevalence of keys for keyboard compositions completely different > from that of wind or string ensembles? (I don't believe so). Or are they > essentially the same? Do not the same arguments apply? And yet the > strings and winds are not constrained by temperament, and since they > always play (or try to play) "just" intervals, the keys are equal in key > color as defined by a Valotti/Young style scheme: they are all "C major." > But composers use the same "key color" attributes for this music, music > that is performed "untempered," as they do for pieces for keyboard or > other fixed pitch instruments, that must be played tempered. Thank you. > I hope I don't need to add that I make no argument against those who > prefer something besides ET, and who offer it to their clients as an > alternative. (Nor am I personally an advocate for or against ET, except > for purely practical reasons). That is an entirely different question. It > is when we get into the business of making claims about history that I > raise objections. > Regards, > Fred Sturm > University of New Mexico > fssturm at unm.edu In the 20th and now 21st century, professional piano technicians absolutely must take the practical route unless you plan to be on hand for every concert, every rehearsal, every composition sitting, etc. Anyone who "prefers something besides ET" must be prepared to play a limited repertoire. Today's pianist is expected to be able to perform in every key, as if each were the same. My number one and most important rejection of the idea of the implementation of historical temperaments is that it is completely beyond the scope of reality of expectation to impose that piano tuners should be expected to be experts in the realm of temperament history as it relates to musical composition. It simply isn't our call. There is just too much unknown that we will never be able to know. And CAUTs in particular, will never be paid well enough to be held responsible for this kind of knowledge. Imposing it on ourselves would be like Daniel throwing himself into the lion's den. If we could tune a piano or any other other fixed pitch keyboard instrument so that all intervals could be just, that would end all of this. It simply is not possible. Non-ET tunings exist only for this reason. It just doesn't work out. Not for compositional preferences. It is the imperfect nature of the beast. The creator of the universe didn't allow for it to be possible. ET, or the closest we can come to achieving it, is the best compromise. Jeff Tanner
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC