This week's encounters with Well Temperament

[Farrell]

"Attend that HT class, read what those of us who do them have to say, try what we are offering and make the idea work for you.  Then, tell the Convention Institute Committee and the manufacturers what you would like to see and hear.  The road is long and hard, not something to do on a lark or whim but the results which happen when real music is played and enjoyed by people are well worth it."

Three semi constructive sentences and 7 paragraphs of sentences full of negativism. I read your posts because you have much technical expertise to share. However, they are painful to read. To whatever extent possible, please just focus on spreading the good word of non-equal temperaments in a positive light. There will always be those unable to relate to anything new, or anything old, or anything revived. Get a grip. It's OK if they are not interested and don't want to hear and don't want to learn. Just move forward and get on with it!

There, I feel better now.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Billbrpt@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2002 12:43 AM
Subject: Re: This week's encounters with Well Temperament


> In a message dated 4/28/02 10:59:30 PM Central Daylight Time, 
> HazenBannister@cs.com writes:
> 
> 
> > 
> > >> More and more professional musicians are requesting HT's, like it or not. 
> >> 
> >> 
> > 
> > Hi list, 
> > I might have sent a partial reply by mistake,sorry. 
> > Not wanting to sound contradictive.I can't find anyone in my area who knows 
> > anything about different temperments.That includes 
> > colleges,technicians,anything or anybody.I am interested and have run into 
> > a dead end street at every turn.This list talks about this topic a lot,but 
> > it's the only place I ever see or hear about it.I'm looking forward to 
> > Chicago,and tracking one of you down for info. 
> > In the dark, 
> > Hazen Bannister 
> 
> 
> Hazen,
> 
> It's a path that you'll have to cut for yourself.  There will be one class at 
> the Convention by someone who is well known for his practice of Historical 
> Temperaments.  He can give you a good overview.  The only other class which 
> will even mention the subject will be one on Fortepianos and which practices 
> are best suited to them.
> 
> Generally speaking, PTG has never been enthusiastic about this subject.  For 
> every member who is interested in it, there are three who don't even want to 
> see it on the schedule because the very idea of an *unequal temperament* is 
> unthinkable.  This is the result of over a hundred years concerted effort to 
> suppress any and all ideas about tuning except ET.  This is what is called 
> the "conspiracy of ET" but it really is just a concerted business decision to 
> make only available the lowest common denominator, the default choice.  
> Having only one choice is cheaper, simpler and more efficient.
> 
> The problem today is that most people, when confronted with the reality that 
> what they have been taught and practiced their whole life may not be the best 
> or only way as they so believed, react very poorly to the idea, reject it out 
> of hand, seek to ridicule it and refuse to have any business or association 
> with it at all.  You'll find this to be the case with all but a very few 
> people who have had the positive experiences Jon has had recently.
> 
> You'll not ever likely have anyone ask you for anything specific in piano 
> tuning because the public knows of nothing else.  The music business in 
> general would rather keep it that way.  It's simpler, more efficient and 
> cheaper.  Ask *any* manufacturer's rep whose piano will be heard in a public 
> performance at the Convention and you will get nothing but negativity.  None 
> of them will ever have their piano tuned in anything but ET.
> 
> The Institute Committees are remarkably consistent with their attitudes as 
> well, it doesn't seem to matter who it is.  If they could get rid of the idea 
> entirely, they would.  It's too much trouble and creates harsh divisions 
> between Members.
> 
> A Convention should be the place where new ideas and ideas which have merit 
> but are not yet well known be presented.  Don't look for a recital, concert 
> or even a casual presentation of music played on a piano in anything but ET 
> at this year's Convention.  It will not be offered.  Many people would be 
> angered and offended if it were.
> 
> The only thing you can do to change all of this is to take the initiative 
> yourself.  Attend that HT class, read what those of us who do them have to 
> say, try what we are offering and make the idea work for you.  Then, tell the 
> Convention Institute Committee and the manufacturers what you would like to 
> see and hear.  The road is long and hard, not something to do on a lark or 
> whim but the results which happen when real music is played and enjoyed by 
> people are well worth it.
> 
> I'll be in Chicago the weekend of the Convention but I'll be downtown making 
> music and doing what I know how to do.  There will be many great 
> opportunities to learn many things for many people but I am more interested 
> in what I would not be able to find there than what I could.  I don't expect 
> things will change anytime soon.
> 
> 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> 
>