Temperaments

[Andrew and Rebeca Anderson]

Mrs. Gottshall,
Temperaments are interesting and tuning to one will reveal different 
things in the music.  The more flavor (read digression from equal) 
the less portable the intervals become especially for modern 
composers.  I had Barne's Bach on (formerly) our little Wurly by 
Samick and it made the piano sound sweet and the extra consonance 
made it seem more powerful.  Debussy just plain ground on that 
temperament though.
As Ed pointed out, Beethoven's pedal marks work with a temperament 
containing less dissonance than equal does.  I tuned our piano back 
to equal as my wife prepared a recital featuring late nineteenth and 
twentieth century composers and it sounded very dissonant to us for a while.
There is a point to consider though.  The modern piano sounds quite 
different to the pianoforte of Beethoven's day.  It has more 
inharmonicity and power.  This isn't without consequence.

Have fun,
Andrew Anderson

At 05:24 PM 9/17/2006, you wrote:
>Greetings,
>
>           Looking at the temperaments in the PTG archives, I am 
> overwhelmed; and absolutely fascinated!!!
>            Surely, when the master of the firey, L.V Beethoven 
> wrote his Moonlight Sonata or the Pathatique or any of his genius 
> works, he was writing on a piano with the temperament of his day.
>
>           Now, If I tune my piano, as a passionate fan of Beethoven 
> to the temperament of that time, would I hear when I play his 
> works, what he truly intended? Or would the difference be 
> negligable / inconsequential between that temperament and our 
> latest truly equal temperament?    Me thinks I would hear the 
> nuances of going from the key of c#minor to the key of Emajor 
> within a mouvement.   Seeking opinions and /or personal experience 
> with this sort of thing.
>
>          Also. business is finally, after 39 months, getting to be 
> NOT hand to mouth anymore!  It's getting pretty good,  and 
> (YippEEEE!!!) me thinks I am going to be able to afford to go to 
> the Eastern Regional PTG Conference in 2007. I am looking so 
> forward to meeting my senors / mentors on this list, who have 
> graciously advised and encouraged me with my piano questions!
>
>Thank You!
>Julia Gottshall
>Reading, PA

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