Sessions recital, was Historical Tuning

[Paul N. Bailey]

Dear Mr.Johnson, I read your message re: tuning for an all Roger Sessions
 piano recital.  I have played all of Mr. Sessions works using a
 modified mean -tone temperament and found to my delight that far
 from being inappropriate, the different sized thirds in fact clarified
 the hmarmonic structure and in general supported the musical content.
 To give two examples, the openings of his  two last major works clearly
 make use of "quasi -tonal"  harmonic  relationships.  In Five Pieces
 he pits F#-A#(B-flat_)against  C-E ,one third (guess which one) evokes repose
 and the other  a move toward greater intensity.  The fact that these
 intervals are part of a 12 tone row  does not alter their musical  meaning
 and the contexts in which they appear later bears this out.
  The  Third  Sonata begins with the F-A flat which (not coincidentally)
 ends the work-in a different spelling.  While  I would never interpret
this as a return to F minor, the mood that is created by this much more
 narrowed third than it would be in equal temperament immediately and
 succinctly establishes a mood which is simply impossible to replicate
in equal temperament.
 Would be happy to send a tape if you are interested.

		  Sincerely yours Jerome Kuderna PhD.

		(in care of Paul Bailey RPT
		   SAN MATEO, CA
		       103445,713@compuserve.com)