Temperament, A pianist responds

[Richard Brekne]

A440A@AOL.COM wrote:
> 
> Richard writes:
> << but it does seem to me that David is talking about the Key of E major
> here, which he states has more colour in the Young compared
> to the Broadwood<<
> 
> David writes:
> >>Those thirds contribute substantially to the character of E major.
> 
>    I agree that the cumulative amount of tempering is greater in the Young,
> but the amounts don't necessarily make a huge difference in the way the key
> of E sounds in a Broadwood vs a Young.
>      In comparing these two temperaments, the tonic thirds are identical, the
> V is only 4 cents wider in the Young and the IV is only 2 cents difference.
> I don't find those differences enough to warrant calling one "fairly active"
> and the other "dissonant".  Yes the Young provides more contrast, but I don't
> hear it as dissonant.
> 

Ok Ed... I buy this explanation. Just wanted to make sure we
was all on the same track. Thanks muchly. I read on with
interest.

> now, for some slight assistance from the established literature of today, I
> went to the new Groves today, and would like to just toss the following onto
> the fire: (I'd hate for somebody to think I just made all this up!)

NNNAHHHH... would You do That ???? hehe.
> 
> According to Schindler, in 1860:
>    "Beethoven in his last years maintained a keen interest in expressive
> characteristics of different keys and suggested they were most apparent in
> piano music. <<
> 
> Lindley writes:
> "It is unclear to what extent Beethoven may have attributed the difference to
> acoustical factors, but his piano music does in fact benefit from an 18th
> century unequal temperament"  ( Lindley 1997 chap. 5)
> 
> Regards,
> Ed

I for one have no problem with this line of thinking,
actually I have a problem understanding how on earth things
could be otherwise really. Music composition is
neccessarilly heavily influenced by the sounds available to
the composer. How could things be otherwise ?


-- 
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no