Richard writes:
<<I wonder if you might point me to the
most important reading in this monster book regarding this Temperament. I
have a month and a half to get this more or less together.
That is plenty of time to grasp the context. I suggest that you read chapt.
20 first, it provides an overview of what you are getting into. Then you
can just mine the book for whatever you want to pursue. It is important to
listen to these tunings and become familiar with how they "feel" with certain
composers. The color has been turned on and Beethoven doesn't show the same
alterations in the older tuning that Bach does.
>I am sure the
tuning part will go ok, I just want to be able to carry on a reasonably
educated discussion on the subject matter if the need be... and no doubt
the need will be.. >>
Unquestionably. This is one of the coolest returns on the time and
effort you will expend in the next six week immersing yourself in another
tonal world. You will quickly know far more about some things than anybody
around you, and if you properly introduce the subject, without threatening
anybody into a protective corner, you may find yourself with a flock. That's
right. A flock that wants to follow your intonational adventure. A tuning
guru, if you want to be.
Being able to say "I don't know yet" is an important response when you
are asked questions that go deeper than your experience, ( and it does
happen, I was asked where the word "syntonic" came from at the National
Convention. I dunno, anybody?). I suppose the best advice I ever got was
from Bill Garlick, who said, "Remember, there is nothing to support any
dogmatic stance when it comes to temperaments".
So, read up, tune up. listen etc. And enjoy bringing a new
perspective on old familiar music. The pianists that 'get it' will thank you
forever.
Good luck,
Ed Foote RPT
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