Bach and E.T. or W.T.

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Richard writes: 
<< Yes, but what evidence is there that composers were aware of "key color",
and that they chose a particular key for a particular key color in a
particular temperament? >>

         A lot of circumstantial evidence.  Some keys were never used for 
particular emotional directions.  There was already a great deal of well 
known character to the keys from opera, where funerals, prison scenes, 
wedding scenes, party scenes, or murder scenes had attendant musical keys 
that predominated in one or the other type of mood desired. Instrumental 
music wasn't immune to the transferring of effect. 
    Gershwin never specified ET,  but he didn't have to, it was the default 
tuning of his lifetime and his music sounds best in it, no surprise there.  
Why is it so far fetched to assume Beethoven, though never specifiing what 
temperament he had at his disposal, wrote with a likewise sensitivity?  
Though Broadwood boasted that all their pianos were being tuned in ET in 
1820, I think, evidence from later on suggests that their "ET" was only "E"  
in comparison to MT.  It was equal only insofar as there was not wolf.  
   The real answer is in the emotional reaction to the sounds of the 
different tunings.  If Mozart in ET sounds better than it does in any other 
tuning, then congratulations, you are fortunate to live in a world where your 
ideal is easily and constantly heard.  However, I think it would be a mistake 
to question other's claims of heightened musical expression from more 
complex, and more historically supported intonational arrangements than the 
current status quo.  
Regards, 
Ed Foote RPT