<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">  <title>RE: (careful, it is about temperaments)</title> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue> <div class=Section1> David:<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Don’t get me wrong, I still personally prefer ET.  = 60+ years of listening to ET, feeling satisfied – even smug – when I = attain a wonderful ET, feeling badly and desperately trying to correct anything = other than ET, will do that to you.  My personal piano is – and = always has been tuned in ET.  I just think that there are reasons some use = other temperaments and if they want them, I want to be the guy who can deliver them.  The choir here was working on some Handel last semester so I = tuned a piano to A-415 in a Young temperament (my favorite of the WTs) for them.  Our harpsichordist always wants some flavor of WT.  = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> As to why composers chose specific keys….there are lots of reasons.  If you are writing for a soprano you have to choose a key = that will keep the song in their range.  The feel of the keys under your fingers for pianists and other instruments makes a difference. =   There’s no sense in writing something if it’s technically impossible to play.  I can’t help but feel that when MT or WTs were widely = used that the key color also played a roll in the choice of keys.  = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> We are a tradition bound field.  It took a long time for ET = to be accepted.  Now that ET is standard it’s taking a long time to = open people up to other temperaments.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The artists who still perform and record in ET in spite of their diligence in performance practice might just prefer it like me.  = Non-ET just sounds “wrong” in a certain sense.  Intellectually = I know it’s not wrong, but so far emotionally it sounds wrong.  For = us it’s probably the amount of time and effort that went into perfecting our ET = that we don’t want to throw that effort away.  = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> dp<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> David M. Porritt<o:p></o:p> <a = href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a><o:p><= /o:p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Love Sent: Thursday, January = 12, 2006 7:49 AM To: 'An open list for = piano technicians' Subject: RE: (careful, it = is about temperaments)<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> One other comment.  The = problem with these types of explanations is that they ignore the data.  In = reaching a conclusion you first have to look at the data and what that tells = you.  After that you look at factors which might mitigate against your conclusion.  The data suggest that people who are presumed savvy = about issues such as temperament are not choosing them.  The factors that mitigate against that conclusion are such as those mentioned below but = even so, it represents only one tuners attitude on the subject and there’s = nothing to suggest that artists are asking for HT’s and not getting = them.  When you stick to your conclusion (really your opening premise) in spite = of the data then it suggests a bias.  You’re really starting with a conclusion and then looking for reasons to support it rather than = collecting the data and reaching a conclusion based on what you find.  = <o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> <div> David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net <o:p></o:p> </div> -----Original = Message----- From: Porritt, David [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Porritt, David Sent: Wednesday, January = 11, 2006 2:26 PM To: An open list for = piano technicians Subject: RE: (careful, it = is about temperaments)<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> <div id=idOWAReplyText17838> <div> Or = they thought that when they took their show on the road they couldn't get the temperament of their choice executed by the technicians in the = field.  >From my observations that's probably true.  I listened to Franz = Mohr tell a class that if an artist asks for a non-ET temperament to just tune ET = and don't go there.  Now that was a few years ago but his view of the = subject indicated that this idea was probably not subject to = change.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> dp<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> </div> <div id=idSignature52222> <div> ________________= __________<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> David M. Porritt, RPT <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName = w:st="on">Meadows</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> of the Arts Southern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName = w:st="on">Methodist</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Dallas</st1:City>, = <st1:State w:st="on">TX</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">75275</st1:PostalCode></st1:place> <a = href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a><o:p><= /o:p> </div> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> <div style='margin-left:.5in'> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </div> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org on behalf of David Love Sent: Wed 1/11/2006 2:49 = PM To: 'An open list for = piano technicians' Subject: RE: (careful, it = is about temperaments)<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> One thing to consider in all this (and I've = probably exhausted my thoughts) is what the major pianist/scholars are doing in this respect.  = Pianists like Brendl, Schnabel, Perahia, and most of not virtually all others who = pour over original source material, biographies, writings, documents in order = to glean that small little detail that adds to their commitment to a = more authentic interpretation of the music as conceived by the = composer.  Of all these people it seems (and I say this with the caveat that I have = not actually done the research) that most if not all of them, when choosing = to record/perform, opt for ET.  While there may be a few who, to their credit, are exploring these pieces in the temperaments of the times, they are = a stark minority.  To suggest that the leading interpreters of = classical music of the last century take such pains for authenticity while rejecting = the, we assume, prevailing tuning style of the times forces you to the = conclusion that they either consciously chose to reject it because it wasn't in = their view relevant to the music and authentic interpretation, or that = they are/were ignorant, biased or, as Bremmer suggests, did it for some = strange business reason.  Considering the extent to which they research = these issues and their apparent commitment to the original intent of the composers = leads me to the conclusion that the tuning style was rejected consciously and = that it was not relevant, in their view, to an authentic and musical interpretation.  Who am I to argue?  If there is real evidence = to the contrary, I'm open to hearing it.    David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [<a = href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.or= g</a>] On Behalf Of Ric Brekne Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 10:48 AM To: pianotech Subject: (careful, it is about temperaments) As to the matter of conclusive.... we of course agree.  I dont = anyone can claim conclusive proof one way or the other either... not by a = long shot.  That said, I /believe/ that composers were affected by the = sounds around them... perfect pitch aware or not. I try to imagine my self = in that same enviroment... could I not be influenced ? Could it not be = a significant part of why I choose any particular key ?  Well... we = will never know perhaps... I'm not sure it really matters much.  = Certainly much in that world is there to be explored... if not re-explored. Cheers RicB While I think the exploration of WT has it's own interest in terms of = what the composers of that day may have been hearing when they actually = played their works on the piano or related instrument, I think it is far = from conclusive that those who often conceived of and composed things away = from the instrument, with a keen sense of absolute pitch and the unique characteristics of each key apart from the piano, with orchestration = ever in their minds would have been driven by tuning style that was evolving = even during their own = lifetimes.        _______________________________________________ <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech</st1:PersonName> list info: <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">http://www.ptg.org= /mailman/listinfo/pianotech</a> _______________________________________________ <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech</st1:PersonName> list info: <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">http://www.ptg.org= /mailman/listinfo/pianotech</a><o:p></o:p> </div> </div> </body> </html>