Meantone Temperament

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Terry writes:
<<  I just tuned an old Mason & Hamlin upright in my shop with a

Meanton 1/6 Comma temperament with my SAT III. Did it just for the yahoo -

never heard an extreme temperament like that before.  . Keys with a

bunch of sharps or flats are virtually unplayable - YUK! Key of C really

kinda sounds horrid, everything is so still - it sounds dead. I guess I'm so

used to hearing some elements of out-or-tuneness.  >>

Greetings,  
     Shezaaaaammm!!  You started out way over in the tall weeds! You may be 
used to some elements,  but let's also consider that the 1/6C tuning may have 
been so far from what the composer was using that you have, in effect, 
changed the notes. (this happens when enharmonic distinctions are being made. 
 You can't use a G# for an Ab)   Experimentation is valuable, even an extreme 
departure provides an additional perpsective.  
     Before you retune it, you might want to hear some jazz stuff.  I have 
been stunned at how much dissonance can be used and still sound good in some 
jazz extemporizing I have heard around here. (Avery is cooking up SOMETHING 
in Houston with this idea, too).  The use of new intonation needn't be 
limited to the synths and computer keyboards, today.  Meantone Jazz is going 
to happen.    
    If you play this temperament for any length of time, you will return to 
hear ET with a totally new appreciation for its own particular sound.  (I'll 
say it again, ET is one of the really fine sounding temperaments.)  
    If you are in the mood for broadening your harmonic horizons, (and I 
applaud the effort), I would like to suggest you try a well temperament.  A 
Broadwood's Best, or the Coleman 11 for a slight "organic shaping" of the 
intervals. If you want to maximize it for Beethoven and the 1800 crowd,  I 
think a Young is close to perfect, though the Kirnbergers make things 
profound, in places.  Heck,  they are all good when the right music gets 
played on them. 
   Let us know what sounds best. 
Regards, 
Ed Foote