Temperament Arguments

[David Love]

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  My point was that many HT's make an arbitrary choice about which keys =
will have more "intensity" due to decreasing sonority as one moves =
through the circle of fifths and away from the key of C.  That choice =
may not always be appropriate.  Chopin's etude in Ab, the so called =
Butterfly Etude, I don't think benefits from HT's that create more =
dissonance, as it were, in that key.  Neither would the Nocturne in Db.  =
That is not to say that the piece would be wholly unpleasant or that a =
pianist couldn't give a satisfactory performance.  But the arbitrariness =
of which keys vary and how becomes evident in such a case.  We could, =
afterall, choose to have the key of F# with the most sonority and =
increase the dissonance as we move toward the key of C. =20

  Ed's point that I was commenting on was that modulation needed the =
benefit of a change in key color to be interesting, and that modulation =
away from the tonic benefited from a greater intensity offered by HT's.  =
My point was that it is only true if the piece starts in key with =
"smoother" sonority.  Another piece that comes to mind is Brahms Trio in =
B.  The added dissonance of HT in the opening of that piece belies the =
intention of the composer, as I see it.  That piece opens with a great =
deal of tranquillity and develops from there.  There are, I think, many =
other examples where these types of temperaments would not be =
appropriate.  Yet this becomes a fairly subjective argument and we can't =
exactly know the intention of the composer.  But it is hard to get away =
from the notion that if we use temperaments that create distinct =
differences between keys, we are imposing our own values about the =
composer's intention more than we would be in ET. =20

  David Love




  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Billbrpt@AOL.COM=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: October 31, 2001 6:27 AM
  Subject: Temperament Arguments



  I would like for David Love to produce one *single* example of any =
music from any period that has smooth and harmonious harmony in Ab =
modulating to an intense and vibrant C Major. =20

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