Why Classical & why historic temperaments

[Keith McGavern]

Part of Anne Beetem's post:
> ...When I had retuned for a recording,  the
>recording engineer, a singer and jazz player, sat down to play the piano
>and was enthralled, couldn't get away until I reminded him he'd have to pay
>me to tune again and was delaying my recording session!  He told me that
>night he played late into the night marvelling at the directionalities the
>music was taking.  Mind you, this was just with a quasi-equal Victorian
>temperament...

Without taking away from the glamour of temperaments other than equal
temperament, isn't there just the possibility that people are attracted to
the difference?

Example:
I did an unusual experiment for me this last week.  I haven't tuned a piano
aurally without the benefit of an Accu-Tuner for sometime.  So I decided to
do so.  Then, for fun, I recorded the tuning using a set system of notes.
After that, I followed through on the aural tuning with the Accu-Tuner,
then recorded that tuning using the same set system of notes.

With that information I then played these recordings for a select listening
audience of two without their knowledge which was which.  One said they
could not tell a difference, the other indicated the aural tuning sounded
clearer.  The person that indicated "clearer" is a tuner and is familiar
with the tuning style I have done for at least 10 years.

Now I am certain that all this tuner was hearing is the difference from
what I normally do, the newness of the tuning.  And I know the temperament,
octaves, and unisons on the aural tuning was not up to snuff.   To me it
sounded louder or brighter.

And one more brief example:
Some musical groups intentionally have the piano tuned at a higher or lower
pitch level to give their sound uniqueness.  We are attracted to the
initial difference because it is not to which we are accustomed.

So I guess what I am presenting as a hypothesis, is that if any other
temperament were standardized for the length of time as equal temperament
has been, then equal temperament would be an attractive, refreshing sound.

Keith A. McGavern
kam544@ionet.net
Registered Piano Technician
Oklahoma Chapter 731
Piano Technicians Guild
USA