Bach and Equal temperament, or Bach and Well temperament?

[david severance]

 >ET is, by definition, an *atonal* temperament. 

Bill

I think I understand what you are trying to say but this statement is
misleading.  Music can be tonal, atonal, polytonal etc. temperaments cannot.
Tonality has to do with the establishment of a key center through the use of
traditional or nontraditional musical devices such as cadences etc.  You
might be able to argue that certain temperaments lend themselves to tonal
music but I think you would be on very shaky ground.  I won't argue with
anyone who states that certain tonal music "sounds" better in a particular
temperament but it has nothing to do with the establishment of a key center.
Atonal composers went to great lengths to avoid musical devices that would
imply a key center but specifying equal temperament, I least to my
knowledge, was not among them.


David Severance