Beethoven in the Temperaments

Anne Beetem abeetem@wizard.net
Mon, 13 Oct 1997 14:29:28 -0400


At 08:34 AM 10/13/97 +0000, you wrote:
>NBWW@aol.com wrote:
>> 
>> List
>> Where do you find the methods for tuning different temperments?
>
>I believe that the ultimate reference is "Tuning" By Owen Jorgensen 
>edited by the Michigan State University Press.  It is a 800 pages brick 
>that provides informations about tuning up to 61 temperaments with both 
>aural or electronic methods.
>
>Michel Lachance, RPT
>

No, no, not a brick.  We call it the Bible.  (Though there are those who
have strong disagreements with Owen, not the least of which is that his
sources exclude much of the Continent.)  There are several other excellent
and sometimes contradictory (amongst themselves, not within themselves)
books on the topic.  You can find these for sale on the web pages for
Zuckermann Harpsichords,(www. zuckermann.com) and the Harpsichord Clearing
House (www. harpsichord.com).  

Please keep in mind that pre-19th century temperaments were intended for
instruments of modest inharmonicity.  The effect is quite different than on
a modern piano.  

Anne Beetem
Harpsichords & Historic Pianos



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