meantone

[Clark]

Hi,

> Bill writ:
> > 1/4 Syntonic Comma Meantone Temperament (1/4CMT).  It is often called simply
> > "Meantone" but even this label leads to a great deal of confusion...
> > ...

Stephen wrot
> Alas....This sort of extension of terminology misses the point about
> meantone. Just as there is only a single temperament that can truly be
> called "equal" there is only a single temperament that should be called
> meantone - i.e. 1/4 comma meantone.

Many different temperaments properly can be called equal, and depending
on where you chop decimals, one (not Huygens) might call extended
1/4(s)CMT an equal, or 1/5-tone temperament. Anyways, a number of
divisions to the syntonic comma historically have been proposed, and
these usually are classed as Meantone.


Meantone often is more adventurous than 12tET. Colonna's instructions
for his Sambuca are humorous; although diatonic, chromatic and
enharmonic genuses were available on his instrument, he suggests it
might be rewarding to mix them, especially for embellishment.


Clark