New use of Old Tunings

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Greetings all, 
     Recently, on the list, there seems to have been a slight rise of 
pessimism over the temperament revival .  Even to the point of making the 
assumption that anything other than ET was not usable in accompaniment.  I 
would like to offer a couple of counterpoints and perhaps a course of 
direction to investigate.  Of course, it will co$t.  
    The recent Steve Earle recording  "Transcendental Blues" contains two 
tracks that use piano.(a Steinway OR, my own rebuild of many years ago, dang 
bright, flattish board). 
     We keep this piano in a Young (1799) temperament.  The primary 
dimensions of this tuning are the C-E third tempered 5 cents wide and the 
F#-A# is the full 21.7 cents. While the F# is a buzz-saw of edginess, the 
other end of the circle at C is almost pure.  The steps between these 
extremes are even. 
    Of more melodic interest,  the C's, F's and A#'s are all 6 cents sharp of 
ET, and the E's are all 2 cents flat. Most other notes are within 4 cents or 
less of the normal ET pitch.  So what happens in the studio situation?  
    There was a roomfull of expensive talent that DID NOT want to be kept 
waiting, and they didn't.  The pianist was totally blown away with the sound 
of the piano, but didn't know or care about the temperament, even so, I was 
not rolling the dice, since the piano has been tuned this way for years and 
the management emphatically does not want an ET on the piano.  They say it 
just kills the sound.  (go figure...)  
    The "guitar keys" like E and A, C, D,G etc.  are used a lot, and seem to 
meld with the guitars better.  Big ballads in the simple keys, like many 
songwriters around here like, make great use of those smooth thirds, and the 
occasional bullwhip modulations that some of these guys use really come alive 
when the harmony steps through some highly tempered combinations after 
floating in all that smooth texture.  
    I have asked several producers how they feel about the V chord when they 
are in the key of E.  The B-D# third is tempered 19 cents wide, and that 
makes for a real "active" sound.  The general impression around the studio is 
that the piano has a lot of drive, clarity, and solidity.  
   So, just don't saddle me in with the "ET is the only tuning for a mixed 
situation" limits,  I am seeing people put big money on contradicting 
evidence right here, right now.  The beauty of these tunings is not 
exclusively reserved for the art music of 1800 Vienna, its Baroque 
foundations, or the Romantic wash that followed it.       Musicians today are 
overwhelmingly drawn to the well tempered sounds when introduced properly, 
and consider them an asset.  This is something that most tuners can cultivate 
in their own area as well, and it will work to their profit as well as their 
stature in the local music circles. 
    The future is more important than the past, but we have to be "here now"  
to do anything about it.  (I hope that's not too  "60's" to make sense !)
Regards, 
Ed Foote RPT
(They began an extensive Nancy Griffith project in that room this morning,  
and I will post the info when that recording is available.)