What's the big deal?

[Billbrpt@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-02-09 11:29:02 EST, you write:

<< Since I'm still in the "mental" stage of learning about HT's, and not to
add any fuel to this long thread>>

Don't worry about how long a thread is when there is a good exchange of
information and understanding going on.

 <<The Guiterrez program spanned app. 2 centuries
 while Simon's only 2-1/2 decades. Comments? Thanks.>>

The later the temperament, the more it will be useful for all the music.  You
are always safe with a Victorian. The Thomas Young #1 or Vallotti-Young
temperaments also will work well for those programs which span more than one
Century.  Much 20th Century music, particularly post Romantics like
Rachmaninoff work fine in a 19th Century temperament.

While Ed seems to feel that Chopin, Debussy and Ravel really require ET, I
respectfully disagree.  While ET makes their music sound "smoother" a
Victorian brings out "inner voices" as a customer of Jim Coleman's once
remarked about Debussy.  There is a distinct "singing tone" as Owen Jorgensen
demonstrates in his classes that is lost to Chopin in ET vs. Victorian. 
 
 << Chopin would certainly sound different on a piano which could magically
adjust each chord to just intonation>>  -- (Bob Davis)

"Just intonation" in the key we are playing is certainly not the goal,
particularly in the case of Chopin.  Chopin chose the remote keys deliberately
for the intensity of the RBI's.
 
 <<Susan Kline:
 Most of the talk about "distant keys" has been about how the tempering
produces different colors in them, as if that were the only musical effect of
modulation. I feel that the musical effect of "roughness" or "sourness" is
minor ...>>

    When the differences in key color are removed by the use of ET, the only
remaining effect of modulation is a change of pitch.

Bill
 ___________________________
 Avery Todd, RPT >>