Just Intonation--Orchestra Players, etc.

[Gregory Torres]

Richard & Stan,

This post goes in my "file" cabinet. Thanks for the insight.

Regards,
Greg Torres
Tunapiana@adisfwb.com

Richard Moody wrote:

> Here is a valuable input from a "lurker", gives an insight into their
> philosophy, and I hope paves the way for more "audience" participation.
> Posted with permission. rm
>
> > From: JStan40 <JStan40@aol.com>
> > To: remoody@easnet.net
> > Subject: Just Intonation--Orchestra Players, etc.
> > Date: Saturday, March 28, 1998 12:33 PM
>
> Dear Richard,
>
> I am one of those "lurkers" oft-referred to by various contributors to the
> List.  Your observation concerning the intonation problems in the
> orchestra,
> and the problem that the orchestra experiences as soon as a keyboard
> instrument is present prompted me to write.
>
> Forget the historical ideas for the moment, and the fact that for the
> early
> existence of the orchestra the harpsichord was always present.  This is
> true,
> but I doubt that much of the harpsichord was heard then, either--mostly
> ching-
> ching-ching as a rhythmic effect.  (I have an old buddy who is
> harpsichordist
> with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra who will likely dispute this!)  Let's
> talk
> about modern orchestras and modern intonation problems.  String and wind
> players, left to their own devices, will seek out aurally the best
> intonation
> for any particular chord or interval.  This has nothing to do with a
> preconceived notion of a particular temperament, it has to do with tuning
> THAT
> chord.  I am a trombonist (I'm SUPPOSED to be able to play "in tune") who
> has
> played in symphony orchestras of one sort and another for many years.  I
> am
> also a theorist (dirty word) whose main income comes from teaching music
> theory and aural skills, along with music history, so my interest in all
> this
> comes from different directions.  Having also spent my high school years
> travelling the countryside with a piano tuner, sort of an apprenticeship,
> though not really a formal one, I also have an interest in the tuning part
> of
> all this from the other side.
>
> Here is the main point.  The orchestra, when confronted with a piano,
> either
> out front in a concerto, or in our midst as another orchestra member,
> always
> goes through a period of adjustment during which intonation suffers
> somewhat.
> Depending upon the level of experience of the musicians, this period may
> be
> only minutes, for our ears to recognize what we are dealing with, and put
> that
> into the aural mix that we usually encounter.  Yes, it is different.  No,
> we
> don't spend any time worrying about the temperament that we might
> encounter--we believe our ears and respond accordingly.  Vallotti?  HT?
> VT?
> I guess we most often encounter ET, but what's the difference?  Our job is
> to
> play "in tune," regardless of what kinds of adjustments that may take--we
> are
> not usually well versed in the finer points of difference between the
> various
> types of WT's anyway, and don't particularly care.  Do we tune differently
> for
> enharmonic pitches?  Short answer is yes--longer answer is it depends,
> upon
> where we are in the chord.  Main point is to be in tune, and that really
> means
> perfect intervals all the time, Just Intonation, if you will, which floats
> as
> the tonality of the composition changes.  It is far too complicated a
> situation for it to be mapped out accurately (though some acoustical
> doctoral
> student will certainly try), but that matters not one bit to the
> players--we
> simply TUNE!
>
> We would mostly prefer NOT playing with keyboard instruments, because we
> are
> better in tune than they--but we can and do adjust, sometimes seamlessly,
> because that is our job.
>
> Too long, I know, but I think you are on the right track, and this is (as
> you
> can tell) a pet subject of mine, so I just had to put in my two-cents
> worth.
>
> If it is of any use, feel free to post this on the list--I haven't become
> a
> subscriber because I am not in the piano tech business, and because I
> don't
> really want my e-mail box full every day.  I do tend to run through the
> archived list every day or two, out of interest in the subjects discussed.
>
> Stan Ryberg
> Barrington IL
>
> ps
>
> Thorough Bass means the playing of a bass line with numbers under notes as
> necessary to indicate what other notes should also be present.  It was a
> Baroque period performance technique that all keyboard players learned
> from
> day one.  Not much in use today, but many players DO read it very well as
> a
> result of playing in early music groups of one sort and another.
> Contrapuntal
> (counterpoint) is just the idea that melodic lines are interwoven with
> each
> other, rather than having one melody and accompaniment to it.  Thorough
> Bass,
> or Basso Continuo, or just Figured Bass IS a keyboard
> technique--counterpoint
> MAY be the manner or writing a keyboard piece, and often times was and is.
>
> Sorry--should have gotten that into the first one, but I forgot.
> Advancing
> age is signalled by two things:  1) your memory starts to go, and 2)
> -------I
> forget.
>
> Stan