OFF (*was: neurology)

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

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In a message dated 4/27/02 8:53:23 AM Central Daylight Time, 
sckline@attbi.com (Susan Kline) writes:


> I had just finished Ted Sambell's tuning course in Toronto (back in 1980)
> and he'd done me the honor of choosing me to be one of the two apprentices
> he took every summer to Banff. We had all just arrived, and there was a
> reception the first night. I was very excited, and a little shy. William
> Primrose was there! (One of the greats for string players!) He was at the
> reception; he had a gin and tonic, and I had a tonic unimproved by gin,
> especially since I was not yet adjusted to the high altitude. I gathered
> my courage, and asked him if his students had trouble adjusting to equal
> temperament when playing with piano. I waited breathlessly for his
> response --------
> 
> He sighed. "If only they could play as well in tune as the piano!" he
> said ...
> 
In 1990 at a Regional Seminar in Quebec City, Marshall Hawkins asked Ted 
Sambell to speak to me about these *ideas* I had about tuning.  Instead of 
going on the bus tour, I stayed at the hotel and tuned a piano in the 
Vallotti temperament.  Everyone asked why I would do that instead of taking 
the liesure/pleasure trip.  Well, for me, I already knew Quebec and the 
exploring I was doing in that small room was infinitely more interesting.

Ted condemned my tuning and pointed his finger at me saying, "Young man, 
you'd better stop doing this or you're going to get in a great deal of 
trouble".  He was right.

What I have also noticed since this time and on many, many occasions was that 
small string ensembles do have better intonation with a piano in and HT.  The 
conductor who spoke the above words obviously had no experience with HTs in 
piano tuning.  Obviously, a well tuned piano in ET provides a string ensemble 
whose intonation may range from shaky to superior with a solid foundation for 
playing in tune.  Experienced musicians and conductors rely on this.  With an 
appropriately chosen HT however, the foundation is even stronger and far more 
musically appropriate.  Most people of this caliber haven't had a chance to 
experience this yet and dismiss the idea out of hand if it ever even comes up.

I've never tuned a piano in ET for anything since well before the "lesson" 
from Ted nor after.  I don't usually say anything about it either because I 
know that most people have profound misconceptions and misunderstandings 
about the concept which run very deep and which cannot be overcome in any one 
instance, no matter what is said or not said.

I have never once found any music or situation where I was tuning the piano 
where I thought ET would be the best temperament suited and so I have always 
chosen something else.  When I see or hear any argument or information that 
convinces me otherwise, I'll say so.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin
 <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> 

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