more reflections on Prinz

[Charles Neuman]

One of the most exciting things about the Pathetique in the Prinz is the
striking changes between pure harmony and disonance, especially in the
opening chords. OK, that's pretty much a paraphrase of Ed's liner notes,
but it's true. In particular, the third chord is a G major chord, which
has one of the most pure thirds in that temperament (second only to C
major which has a just third). Whenever G major is played, it just jumps
out at me. I had gotten used to how it sounded, then...

...then I tried to play it on my piano. I had just spent a couple days
practicing setting the temperament (ET, that is), so everything was pretty
good in the temperament section. I wanted to hear that pure G chord, but
when I played it... Yuck! What is that racket I'm hearing? It was beating
so much I figured one of the unisons got knocked out of tune.
Unfortunately, the G-B interval was beating at the rate it was supposed to
be beating at.

I guess I didn't know what I was in for, even after I read Ed's warning
(about habit-forming pure intervals) on his CD's. Life will never be the
same again.

Charles