Kirnberger and Kernberger III Temperaments

[A440A at aol.com]

Julia writes: 
<<         What is the difference between Kirnberger and Kirnberger III 
temperaments? Also, if there is 
a Kirnberger and a Kirnberger III, then what happened to Kirnbergers I and 
II? << 

      The Kirnberger tuning was quite strong, in that there were three keys 
with Just thirds, four keys with full commas in their thirds and three keys 
with with 19 cents commas.  It is very consonant in half the keys and barely 
tolerable in the other. 
      The Kirnberger III is often referred to as an "Aron Neidhardt" and has 
only one Just third (C-E).  This allows the remaining keys to be less tempered 
than the original.  .  


     >> Also, what is the difference between Well and Victorian temperaments 
and then there is a combo; Victorian-Well temperaments? >>

        "Victorian" refers to the tunings of the later 1800's that were 
simply Well-Temperaments which had had their contrast between keys reduced.  
Jorgensen's Victorian tunings usually limit the widest thirds to no more than 18 
cents, whereas in the earlier well-temperaments, the limit was 21 cents, (a 
syntonic comma).  
      Well-temperaments refer to a genre that was in use between 1700 and 
1900, ( actually, their use is growing by leaps and bounds, today). 

Regards,   
Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html