Hello folks, There was some problem with my email and my provider seems to have lost all messages since Monday, so I can't track back all the recent threads, but noting some comments today about temperament prompts me to mention a couple of CD's. The first is relevant also to discussion about electronic instruments. The great innovator/populariser of classics on the synthesiser was of course Walter Carlos, in the late 60's (early 70's?) with Switched On Bach, played on primitive Moog sythesisers. Latterly, Walter, now Wendy (!) Carlos got interested in 'authentic' temperaments. A 25th anniversary CD was produced, with fresh renditions of many of the pieces from the original. But, significantly, using 'Authentic Bach Tunings'. The accompanying notes give quite a bit of information about the tuning systems employed. It certainly stretches the ear to listen to this disc. Somehow, though, it just doesn't have the magic of the original LP renditions. The CD is Telarc CD-80323 and is called "Switched-On Bach 2000". The other CD is interesting for different reasons. It's Naxos 8.550066 "J.S. Bach Keyboard Favourites" played by Joseph Banowetz and Monique Duphil. The disc was recorded in Tsuen Wan Town Hall in China, and bears out what someone once told me - that no-one in China knows how to tune pianos. The unisons are OK but the temperament is wild. I wondered if it was an attempt at a Bach tuning. But I don't think so, I think it's just ineptitude! There are some wonderfully sour chords. Worth a listen. Best wishes all. David. David@bouncer.force9.net P.S. Ralph, did you know that the Isle of Skye is now connected to the mainland by a bridge?
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC