temperament

[Billbrpt@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/20/98 3:49:01 PM Central Daylight Time,
KESTENS.P@Debcom.be writes:

<< List,
 
 I read very carefully the items about temperaments, but there is still one
 thing I don't know or can't read anything about it.
 Where do you start to develop a "new" temperament and how is one doing this,
 I mean calculating. Which are the parameters to take care of?
 thanks a lot for comments and advices.
 Peter
  >>

This question is somewhat like asking a poet or an author, "How do you know
which words to write?" or of a composer, "How do write a new composition?"

If you knew more than one sequence for tuning ET, several in fact and you also
knew several HT's, this would be more apparent to you.

In my case, I developed my own ET sequence which I named the "Slow-Fast, Fast-
Slow,Your choice ET sequence".  My goal was to have for each note tuned, both
a slowly beating interval (4th or 5th) or a rapidly beating interval (3rd or
6th) that the newly tuned note could be checked against.  It worked well for
me for a number of years until I began to use the HT's.

With the HT's, I realized right away the problem that stops most of today's
technicians from using them.  The HT's were used on instruments which were
something different than we use today.  Therefore, one must go through a trial
and error process in finding a good HT that will work as ET does, for all
music.  There are times when an HT is used for a specific period of music but
that is more the exception  than the rule.

When laying an HT on the piano, a technician with a keen sense for what sounds
"good", what is tolerable and what is intolerable will lead thet person to
refine or "mitigate" a temperament until it works well on the modern piano.
When I listen to Ed Foote's CD, I can hear that he has done just that with
beautiful results.

If a person is creative enough and understands the limits of the 12-tone
scale, one can set out to actually create a new temperament based on
historical precedents.  Bill Garlick RPT was one of my teachers over the
years.  I remember him stating that there could hardly be anything done today
that someone in the past has not already done.  Professor Owen Jorgensen RPT
was the exception in Garlick's opinion with his "5-7" temperament.  (It would
not be something for general use, it is hypothetical and bizarre sounding to
contemporary ears but interesting nevertheless).

One of this List's members, Paul Bailey, RPT constructed and uses currently as
his primary temperament, a Meantone style, complete with the "wolf" 5th
between Ab-Eb.  He uses this temperament to play largely Romantic and modern
literature and believes that many composers chose to write in Ab because of
the special power of that key when tuned in a mild Meantone Temperament.  His
temperament will be featured at the Festival of Temperaments in Providence.
Don't miss it!

As you may have seen written on the List, I have constructed my own type of
Victorian Temperament which works well for me.  It will also be featured at
the Festival of Temperaments.  While I expect that my temperament might be
regarded as more tolerable to most than Paul's, I sincerely believe that
Paul's temperament is a true work of highly creative art possibly on the
genius level.  It is unfortunate that Paul will not be able to present it
himself but his work will be in the highly capable hands of Karen Hudson-Brown
RPT.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin