HT's

[Billbrpt]

In a message dated 98-03-15 20:25:30 EST, you write:

<< No question, Rich! ..Bill was a very inventive guy with modern
 structures. Without ET...he probably wouldn't have been the type of
 pianist that he was.(also a very good , modern composer)
  Ralph >>

I'm sorry Ralph but Bill Evans' music does not require ET to sound either good
or correct.  It cannot be claimed that his music depended on no distinction
whatsoever from one key to the next nor can it be claimed that he always had
his piano tuned in ET.  These are merely assumptions that you are publishing
as facts.

I wonder why it is that those who actually tune in Reverse-Well have the least
ability to even understand what it is?  It requires more than just an opinion
that a temperament is truly equal for it to be equal.  It isn't necessarily
equal just because the person tuning it says it is or believes it is.

I really hope this idea of the tune-offs gets going.  Then we can really prove
which kind of temperament really does sound the best.  What sonds good to a
tuner does not necessarily fit any music.  This has already been proven.  It
needs to be demonstrated time and again for it to finally disprove the
erroneous notions that have been held about ET for so long.

Last night a Czech pianist played here in Madison in 1/7 comma Meantone.  He
played Schubert, Smetana, Dvorak and Chopin.  I am very sure that the majority
think that this would have "required" ET but if you talked to the pianist as I
did, he expressed things you never hear anyone say after playing in ET.  He
said that he "totally changed the way he usually plays" and even felt the
music. There was far more "expression of deep sentiments" than he had ever
heard on any other piano, ever before.  "Complete freedom of modulation" and
having every chord sound the same were most decidedly not important to him.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin