Ancient history, (was Jorgensen)

[A440A@AOL.COM]

 Billbrpt writes:

<<  The HT's by Ear has all the meantones, including the gem discovered 
here in Madison, 1/7 Comma Meantone, the one which Ed Foote says sounds like 
a disaster, like a car crash or a burning building. >>

     Mr. Bremmer, you may eventually learn that you cannot use my name for 
free.  The mention of a car crash was a part of an analogy, but it appears 
that you don't know what an analogy is.  Since your memory seems to be 
selective, perhaps you should re-read the posting.   You were stating that 
there was a LOT more postive impression than I noticed in the hall. 
The letter, in part, is reprinted below. 
   
Bremmer wrote: 
>>It had many people very interested.  So much so,
>>that people were gathering all around the piano, testing and listening
>>to intervals and asking questions afterwards.  The great majority of the 
>>audience was very impressed.  

To which I responded: 
> I must indignantly disagree.  People will gather around a car wreck or a 
>house fire, please don't think that is an automatic blessing.  
 
Bremmer again: 
>>Yet, as you might expect, what might please,
>>interest and titillate most listeners sounded objectionable to a few, a
>>very  few.

I responded:
> Half the people that I heard talk about that performance didn't notice 
>anything different, and the other half thought it sounded out of tune.   I 
>didn't think it was well received.  That is not a scientific poll, just what 
>I remember getting in the way of feedback.  

      In the years since that 1/7Comma fiasco (in 1995!)  I have given more 
than a few temperament presentations, and have NEVER had anyone come up to me 
and say that they remembered that convention Baldwin sounding good.  On the 
contrary, numerous technicians have remarked that after the Milwaukee and 
Alberqureque conventions, in which Bremmer tunings were on display, they had 
decided to leave the subject alone.  The major part of my efforts since has 
been to undo the negative image of temperaments that seems to have arisen in 
response to yourself.   
    So, your claim that a "great majority" was impressed rings hollow with 
me.  I only responded to the topic after you attempted to blame the rancor on 
a very small minority that was "in conspiracy" to discredit you.  That is 
total hogwash,  the negative reactions were in response to a poor choice of 
temperament for the program.   The Beethoven didn't sound like a car crash, 
it sounded like music played on an out of tune piano. 
Ed Foote RPT