[CAUT] Historical temps

[Fred Sturm]

On 1/10/06 1:24 PM, "Alan McCoy" <amccoy@mail.ewu.edu> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> Is there a definitive work on temperaments that relates composers to the
> temperaments they used on their instruments? Or temperaments to specific
> works? These days the more I use well temperaments, the more I like them.
> I'd like to be able to engage some of the musicians around here in a
> conversation about this issue. And do some experimenting.
> 
> Thanks for any suggestions.
> 
> Alan
> 
> 
> -- Alan McCoy, RPT
> Eastern Washington University
> amccoy@mail.ewu.edu
> 509-359-4627
Hi Alan,
    Short answer: No. Lots and lots of controversy. Even with someone like
Rameau, who, late in life, firmly espoused ET. Earlier in life, he just as
firmly and persuasively argued for key color. You'll find any number of
passionate arguments for several different temps as being the "correct" one
for Bach. In the final analysis, it's a matter of taste. Some lines can be
drawn: there are composers and periods for which mean tone is appropriate,
and others for whom a flavor of WT is probably better. But even there, the
line gets fuzzy in places.

Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico