On Jan 30, 2009, at 8:39 PM, Ed Sutton wrote: > Once again may I point out that in 1827 a piano tuning gadget was > being sold in Paris. The Shrine to Music in Vermillion SD has one, > and John Koster has kindly measured it for me. It is calibrated in ET. > > I am in possession of a tuning gadget sold in New York in the > 1860's. It is also calculated in ET. In the introduction to his book, Montal describes that 1827 gadget in considerable detail (with criticism of its efficacy in practical use), along with an earlier "device" consisting of a set of chromatic tuning forks. The original development of the set of tuning forks was credited to "someone in England 20 to 25 years ago" (written in 1835), and as having been copied in France by a Monsieur Matrot under the name "diapasorama" (diapason is used for tuning fork in French) in 1825. Again, definitely equal temperament. And Montal is very critical of it in actual use, for various practical reasons. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico fssturm at unm.edu
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