I think both Brendel and Schnabel have said that they try to remain true to the intentions of the composer. They never met him either. But there is a line from Beethoven through various students and teachers that has probably both maintained and distorted his interpretive intentions. David Love ----- Original Message ----- From: <A440A@AOL.COM> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: December 12, 2001 3:23 AM Subject: Re: Temperament, A pianist responds > Greetings, > David writes: > << But many fine pianists don't > > prefer it and find the larger range and tonal palette of a modern piano > > offering a greater means of expression without compromising the intentions > > of the composer. << > > This statement makes it appear that David knows what the intentions of the > composers are, and he even goes so far as to state that using an age > appropriate tuning represents a tuners impostition of his own tastes,(more so > than using ET). > To follow this logic to its absurd end, using a modern piano, in modern > ET, represents the least intrusion on the composers intentions. That is a > premise that makes no sense to me whatsoever. It sounds more like poorly > supported justification for remaining in the status quo. > > >>Are Schnabel and Brendel only making due with compromises? > > Are they all sadly misguided?.>> > > Yes, and Yes. That is the whole point of this discussion. Modern ears > have been inured by science. Last month's masterclass experience with a very > widely respected teacher from a major music school proves it, at least to me. > This professor/concert artist didn't even realize that the D he used to > demonstrate Beethoven passages had been tuned in a Young temperament. Even > side by side with the other piano in ET, he didn't notice the difference in > sound!! Just how closely was he listening to what was coming out of the > piano? > There is more to this music than can be had from a modern piano in ET. > Since there is a dramatic shortage of fortepianos, the next best step in > fully illuminating composer's "intentions" is to at least get the intonation > closer to the original. Hence, the temperament revival. (and there are a > LOT more tuners involved in this move than ever before, thanks to the SAT, > RCT, VT- etc). > Regards, > Ed Foote RPT > > Regards, > Ed Foote RPT > >
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