David writes: << I attended a concert at our local concert hall in Pacifica, CA. We are beginning a 9 concert series celebrating the piano and its 300 years.<snip> 2 concerto's by Haydn first and then Mozart. They both tuned their own instruments and tuned in equal temperment. The concert was enjoyed by all! >> Greetings, Mozart on a fortepiano in Equal Temperament? Doesn't it seem logical, that if some attempt to display a historical breadth is being made, that the methods of the past be applied to the instruments of the past, when the music of the past is being performed? I have to ask, why was the temperament of the keyboard's first 200 years disregarded? We don't need to just lump all eras of keyboard music into one tuning anymore! That there was enjoyment had by all is good, but based on my experiences in the last six years or so, if they liked it in ET, they would have loved it in a more tonal (and authentic*) tuning. Regards, Ed Foote RPT *While deciding what temperament may have been most in vogue at any time, we have to weigh the historical and theoretical, as well as the practical evidence. From these three perspectives, the large preponderance of evidence points to something other than what we know as equal temperament being used in Mozart and Haydn's time. Yes, there is mention of ET in the theorist's writings between 1700 and 1850, but in comparison to the writings on other tunings, as well as instructions on how to actually create them, and what the music appears to do with them, there is scant support for widespread usage of ET.
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