<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.3105.105" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A href="mailto:Billbrpt@AOL.COM" = title=Billbrpt@AOL.COM>Billbrpt@AOL.COM</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title=pianotech@ptg.org>pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, November 02, 2001 = 9:37 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: more on this = temperament tangent</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>In a = message dated 11/2/01 8:15:08 AM Central Standard Time, <A href="mailto:Tvak@AOL.COM">Tvak@AOL.COM</A> <BR>writes: <BR><BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px" TYPE="CITE">Orchestral music is played in just intonation. =  Each player constantly tunes <BR>his instrument adjusting each note. = </FONT><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=3 = FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV><BR><BR></FONT><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 = size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">If this were true, orchestras would sound like a = glass harmonica. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><Huh? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2 = FAMILY="SANSSERIF"> If you define Just Intonation as the 3rd and 5ths being pure, Orchestras, = in fact, are strongly influenced byJust Intonation. They don't utlitlize = Just Intonation in the same way a keyboard would be tuned, but they do have = strong similarities.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>></FONT><FONT size=2>.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2 = FAMILY="SANSSERIF">It's time to pull out your Harvard Music Dictionary  and start = reading the definitions of Just Intonation, Temperament, Equal Temperament, = and Well-Temperament  carefully. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2 = FAMILY="SANSSERIF">>Start with Just Intonation. Just Intonation in an orchestra tuning should = not be confused with the hazzards of Just Intonation tuning for = a keyboard. The definition of Just Intonation states it is a theoretical system of tuning in which the 3rds and = 5ths  remain pure, in which all other intervals derive from....". That being said,orchestras are deeply influenced byJust Intonation as the = accepted way to play the 3rd, 5th, and octave .  Regardless of the = work, be it a Verdi opera, Rossini overture, or Stravinksy's = Firebird, influences of Just Intonation are throughout. As a perfermer in the wind section = play a beating 3rd in a slow movement you might as well kiss your job = good bye. If 2 clarients are playing in octaves, they better be absolutely pure. = Same with the 3rds or 5ths.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Temperament</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Undoubtebly,composers have been and will always = be influenced by temperament. Most have been conditioned  by the = very fact that most write their works from the keyboard. Not necessarily for the = keyboard, but through the keyboard. Think of the1000's of hrs. spent = composing a major symphony while slaving over a pianoforte tuned in WT, or today = on a Steinway D tuned in ET. The examples are too obvious where temperament = of the day influenced the style of writing.  It's analogus to computers = and software programers. Programers are influenced and restricted by the operating system of that computer. Someone working with = Windows will obviously be influenced the constraints and characteristics of that = system. Someone working with DOS, MAC systems will be conditioned differently.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Composers living during the Baroque period were obviously  influenced by the early temperaments.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Temperament only exists on keyboard </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px" TYPE="CITE">instruments.  Not in the minds of composers. =  When a composer writes an <BR>orchestral piece, he thinks in just = intonation.  </FONT><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT size=2> <DIV>Let's word that differently...<BR>"Temperament tuning only exists = on the stringed keyboard." .... Back to the Harvard Music = Dictionary</DIV> <DIV>Temperament..."General designation for various systems of tuning = in which the intervals are tempered, i.e., they deviate from the accoustically = correct intervals of the Pythagorean scale and of Just Intonation"</DIV> <DIV>Orchestras do not temper those intervals AND composers are = influenced by the attributes of temperament. The great composers we all elude = to were all extreme cases of pure genius. They had an incredible amt.of understanding and sensitivity towards temperament, key color, and even = a thorough understanding for the instruments they were writing = for. We haven't even begun to dive into the problems each = instrument brings to the table. Yet these composers were able to work around a = lot of hazzards and find the inner most beauty and present it as a gift = of pure delight.  I often wonder what if Mozart would have wrote = differently if he was living today. Better yet, what if he could have time traveled = ahead 300 yrs. and had the opportunity to experience writing music with = different temperaments and modern instruments. What if could have looked back and wanted to change what he had written?</DIV> <DIV> Tom Servinsky,RPT</DIV></FONT></FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>