Hear Historical Temperaments on Tape

[Donald Mitchell]

This is a very wonderfull project.  I teach at the Emil Fries Piano
Hospital and Training Center in Vancouver, WA.  I have been looking for a
recording like this for a long time.

The one problem with such recordings is the natural wow and flutter
inhearent to even the best tape recordings.  I would encourage having
these recordings put on CD as it is much more reilyable for faithfull
reproduction of the subtle tone reproduction necessary for listening to
tuning.



On Sun, 16 Mar 1997, Carol Beigel wrote:

>         This week we had a thread running through this list about how pianos
> were thought to sound better tuned differently than the standard Equal
> Temperament we use now.  In October 1990, the Washington D.C. Chapter of PTG
> recorded a symposium given by Professor Owen Jorgensen tracing the history
> of keyboard tuning called "A Temperamental Journey".  This recording was
> made at the Smithsonian Hall of Musical Instruments in the National Museum
> of American History in Washington, D.C. using 8 authentic period instruments
> in their collection and 10 different historical temperament systems.  The
> music on this recording, played by students at Peabody Conservatory, sounds
> the way the classical composers heard it.  The same music is also played in
> various temperaments so you can compare them.  I mention this tape for three
> reasons:
>         1) It is a companion tape set to the authoritative and extensive
> work of Owen Jorgensen's big red book on Tuning. In fact, he referred to his
> 2-foot high manuscript during the symposium!
>         2) There really is a renewed interest in historical temperaments. A
> customer, studying Bach, recently mentioned to me that her Suzuki teacher's
> training tape was done in an historical temperament and was recommending
> that her students consider having such a tuning done on their pianos.
>         3) A decision needs to be made as to how many more tapes to produce.
> They are professionally done on very expensive audio equipment, and the
> studio is considering dispensing of their tape-producing equipment in favor
> of CDs.
>
>         If you would like to hear music played in various historical
> temperaments, and decide for yourself whether or not is sounds "better",
> this high quality recording can be purchased from Pianotek for about $25.
> It is a set of two 90-minute, state-of-the-art audiophile cassette tapes
> made directly from the digital master. Pianotek Supply Company is located at
> 401 W. Marshall Ave., Ferndale, Michigan  48220  USA.  Phone numbers are:
> 810-545-1599, 1-800-347-3854 or send a fax to 810-545-0408. The part number
> for the tape set is BKSP-20A, A Temperamental Journey.
>
> Happy Listening!
>
> Carol Beigel, RPT
> Greenbelt, Maryland
>
>