Don, I totally agree. When I'm doing a concerto type tuning for something like a Prokofiev or a Rachmaninoff type concerto in a large hall, I'll usually try to stretch a little more, especially in the treble area if the piano leans more to the "mellow" type of sound. Within reason. I personally don't like a severe amount of stretch but some judicious amount of extra stretch seems to give more projection and is more easily balanced with the orchestra. Avery At 07:39 PM 08/05/02 -0700, you wrote: >Richard, > >I have taught a technical seminar on this very subject, called "The Sound >of your Tuning." I tune 2 matched grand pianos with widely different >stretches, and demonstrate the affect this has on the sound of the tuning >overall. > >It is my contention that the octave stretch style used has a much larger >affect on the sound of the piano than the often subtle differences between >temperaments. The difference between sloppy equal temperament and a >careful equal temperament is rather hard to hear when playing music, but >the difference between wide octaves and narrow ones is quite noticeable. > >I do use different octave tunings depending on the situation and use and, >to some degree, the tastes of the pianist. I tune for some pianists who >like a more aggressive sound from the piano that a wide tuning gives, >while I have had others specifically complement me for the "warm" sound of >my tuning, after having done my preferred narrower tuning style. > >Don Mannino RPT > > > >At 07:25 PM 8/5/2002 +0200, you wrote: >>Hi folks >> >>I know this subject has come up relative to the use of >>historical temperaments before, but I am curious about how >>the amount of stretch in an ET tuning can be / is conciously >>employed as a part of the music played. >> >>I think is generally aggreed upon the the more stretch in >>general there is, the more tense the general sound of the >>tuning is. Clearly a Moonlight Sonata played on a fine >>instrument tuned with a lot of stretch imployed based on a >>wide 6:3 temperament octave is going to sound different then >>the same piece played on the same instrument where the >>temperment and stretch are very compressed. Perhaps it is >>possible to colour a musical piece through the general >>tenseness of the tuning ? >> >>I wonder also if anyone uses this technique as a voicing >>tool. I find that the more tense (stretched) the instrument >>is, the more is takes on a hard like character, and the more >>compressed the tuning the more roundlike and mellow the >>instrument sounds. >> >>I get the feeling most tuners learn one style of stretch and >>rarely change that. How many of you place any value on the >>the ability to adjust stretch in relation to the two above >>criteria, even when your own basic taste for stretch is at >>odds with these ? >> >>Thanks for your thoughts. >> >>RicB
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