Temperament debate

[A440A@aol.com]

Greetings, 
(I'm changing thread titles, hoping to focus the subject more  closely, we got
the jazz guys over there talking in the corner, etc  (;)

Tom posted earlier;
>I submit that a "neutral" tuning is a very desirable
>framework to work within for the same reason that a museum has >white walls
on which to hang its paintings. Colored walls might >enhance some paintings
but clash with others and it would be >impractical to change colors every time
paintings were changed.

      I submit that  temperament is more like the light falling upon the
surface of the paintings.   If you change the color of the light  from what
the original artist was using, have you not changed his message?

  
>The instrument should be transparent to the music. 
    I agree, and adding 13.6 cents worth of tempering to every third on the
keyboard really clouds up passages that were originally conceived or composed
in keys with near-Just thirds.  

>An ill-chosen temperament would detract from a performance but a >well-chosen
and well-executed HT tuning might very well enhance a >composition.  

    An ill-chosen temperament is precisely what I hope technicians will learn
to recognize.  A well-executed HT *will*  enhance a composition written for
it. ( and a poorly chosen one will ruin a performance!)

>You might even say that the piece and the temperament are integral.
    This is precisely what I am saying.  

     On  separate  but associated issues;  The  argument for the use of ET for
its convenience, or universality of use is a separate debate from the debate
over key characters , (or which tonal palettes  best serve a given
composition).  Attacking the use of any temperament demands that the argument
is based on the actual physical sound of a piece of music.  It must be done by
listening and forming a musical decision, not pointing to assorted historical
promises or the current status quo. 

<now looking into soap box>
      Sadly, there has been a lot of needless, counterproductive bandwidth
involved in this thread.   I think it arises from a lack of faith that the
truly valuable things will eventually be recognized.  There is no need to tear
down the walls.  Time and harmony will get things done in graceful fashion.   
 	Attitudes are real things, and we will only change them with their owner's
permission.  The willingness to try something new will often disappear as soon
as the musician decides that you are rejecting something they have always
accepted.  If our goal,  as Temperament Crusaders,  is to promote something
new,   I suggest that we will see more success by offering additional musical
resources to musicians, rather than castigating whatever they have, in hopes
of replacing it with our own favored arrangements.  
    The ability to tune a HT is a separate skill from the ability to sell it. 

Regards, 
Ed Foote
<soap! powdered, cakes and flakes!! all over my keyboards;  sorry, it just
seemed like that kind of a morning! (:)}}})