Weird Temperament

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

    I was working with another  technician today, and he had to drive a long
way out to a concert venue in Wickenburg. He had to go do a tuning on a
harpsichord. Apparently, the director of the event was a harpsichordist, and
he told him over the phone how to tune a "Kirnberger" temperament. He asked
me about it because I have at least a passing acquaintanceship with
historical tunings. ( Thanks to Ed...... and Bill. ) (Grin). ( And
especially to my chapter buddy, Jim Coleman, Sr.)

    ANYWAY......  The instructions he was given are really weird, as far as
I'm concerned. Maybe I'm WAY off in left field, but it wouldn't be the first
time. He was told to tune all intervals "just". I take that to mean "pure".
He was to tune A at A440. (??)  then tune around the cycle of fifths with
the exception that when he got to E, he was to tune it as a mean tone
between A and B. Also, the D to F# third was to be "just".

    What the Hey? I told him that there weren't going to be any thirds tuned
"pure" in the Kirnberger, and if any of the historical temperaments would
have a pure third, it would be C-E. Was I wrong?
    I did tell him to check the thirds in his temperament before he went on,
and showed him how they should be relatively slow in C and progress in beat
speeds as he went around the cycle of fifths until he started back down the
back side of the cycle and they should start slowing down again. At least
that seems to be the general theory.

    I'm probably all wet, but something doesn't sound right here. Sounds
more like some Amateur harpsichordist just giving his method of tuning a
classy name like "Kirnberger".

    Can't wait for all the input this one's going to bring!

    Another person who should have read the "Big Red Book"

Kevin E. Ramsey
ramsey@extremezone.com