Temperament, A violinist responds

Don drpt@sk.sympatico.ca
Thu, 13 Dec 2001 08:58:45 -0600


Hi Richard,

The mild equal beating victorian temperaments is imho an example of "micro
tuning". Why would someone hear the "difference" unless the same instrument
was retuned? Find me two identical pianos and I'll tune one in ET and
another in a mild temperament. Then you perform a single Beethoven piece on
them and you will be able to tell me which you prefer--but not which one is
ET.

Bottom line is that Unisons are our first priority, then Octaves, Voicing,
Regulation and then some where way down the list is "temperament". I
suspect that even a shiny case makes a difference to how the pianist
perceives the sound.

I do not deny HT can make a difference. Just that so far as I know no one
has done a proper "double blind" test. I do have a good friend who plays
baroque violin professionally. They tune and perform in a Young
temperament. She also performs in a "modern" ET group. They also tune and
perform. It is simply *not* a big deal to string players. 

Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.

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