In a message dated 12/14/99 6:03:56 AM Pacific Standard Time, remoody@easnet.net (Richard Moody) writes: << It is without a doubt that the elimination of the "wolf" was the goal in keyboard tuning. That would enable playing in all of the keys. Meantone does not allow this nor Pythagorean. Only the so-called Wells and there are at least 3 or 4 of them, or ET. >> Well, there are surely at least 3 or 4 kinds of Well-Tempered Tuning, if not perhaps an infinite number of them and even some use of the "wolf" key for effect has been documented as far back as the 1/4 Syntonic Comma Meantone. It is not at all true that the elimination of the dissonance that occurs in the untuned end of the cycle of 5ths of a Meantone Temperament has always been the only goal in temperament development. Composers and musicians sometimes used it as a quality of brilliance and vibrancy not available any other way. This is still being done today, on a regular basis. And again, what about that whole class of temperaments known and used called Modified Meantone? There are at least 3 or 4 of them too. The tireless insistence that there are only two kinds of tunings, the nice normal, regular, smooth, all pleasing and universally acceptable Equal Temperament and that other one, the one which was rightfully rejected ever since J.S. Bach wrote his famous music for the Equally Tempered Clavinova, that MEAN tone one, the one with the big, ugly WOLF in the middle of it is getting to be a bit futile. It's time to wake up and smell the coffee and tune the piano so that some real music comes out of it based on a true understanding of what has been and is still possible based on experience and practice, not just reading numbers and quotations out of old books. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin
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