Hearing the difference

[Richard Moody]

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Brekne <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 22, 2002 6:07 AM
Subject: Re: Hearing the difference


> Sorry to jump in the middle of things as it were
>
>
> > > >    The arguments that temperament influenced music as far
as
> > > >history is concerned is coming to a rapid close.  After
each
> > > >tuning scheme is finally translated, it is seen by tuners,
> > > >musicians, musicologists, and music historians, that
> > temperament
> > > >doesn't really matter > >
>
> Really this is a flawed argument. The claim it makes is purely
a
> subjective opinion and has no real basis in fact, because the
question
> about the ability of temperaments to influence music composition
and/or
> experience has never been really explored thoroughly.
..............The
> result is that we just plain dont know whether temperaments have
> influenced music history or not.
>

Yes, that is my point exactly.
"No evidence, no history", as Charles Beard said.  No evidence has
been presented that temperament influenced music history or
composition, and nothing on "color", because there is none to be
found in the original sources.  There is plenty of speculation
though.  But show me what is supported by direct evidence.
So hurry up and present your evidence if you have any, the train
is leaving the station.  There are probably less that 1,000 pages
of what historians consider source material. Can't take  long to
research especially for those literate in French, German and
Italian, in addition to English.
In Montal for example out of a 200 page book only 30 or so pages
were directly about temperament and  how to tune it, and none
on its effects on music other than eliminating wolves.
 "This _moyen_ temperament alters the intervals by the same amount
in order to divide the octave into twelve  _equax_ semitones.
This renders each tone equally just, or, more critically equally
false since not one interval is exactly just but only passable.
(_supportable._)"  Claude Montal, 1836.  His book by the way was
dedicated to Playel, the publisher and piano maker of Chopin.
    Alex Galembo might be interested in this.  ---rm


> The fact that you can put 10 high quality pianists in a room
with 10
> different temperaments and find that they can not really hear
the
> difference when someone plays them doesnt really say very much.

To me it says temperament doen't matter much.  --rm