Young Well Temperament

[Billbrpt]

List:

This is in response to the Post by Jim Coleman that was forwarded by me during
my absence:

In a message dated 98-02-27 13:58:50 EST, you write:

<< To the list and Ed Foote:
 
 After listening to the Ed Foote prepared CD many times, I decided to give the
Young Well Temperament another look see. I tuned my Baldwin SF10 (7') with the
lterations as follows:
 
 A   A#  B   C   C#  D   D#  E   F   F#  G   G#
 0   2  -4   6  -4   2   0  -2   4  -6   4  -2
 
 These alterations were made to a regular equal temperament tuning based 
 on SAT II FAC style.
 
 My tuning did not sound anywhere near as good as the recording of Ed's
tuning. I even got out the score to the Moonlight Sonata which is one of  the
few I can play (except the last movement).In my tuning, I could hear the
decided changes in the G# 7th chord of measure 4 and in the F# maj. chord of
measure 14 and in the B maj chord of the last 2 beats in measure 15. I went
back to the CD, and it still sounded so clean and nice. Is it possible that in
the recording the busier 3rds just are not as prominent?
 
 Is it possible that Ed used a much milder form of the Young?  >>

Jim's response and question raise a number of issues.  I suspected as he did
that Ed's "Young" was very much compromised.  Not that this is a bad thing or
unacceptable in any way.  It is, in my view, what may or should often be done
with an HT used on a modern piano.

    Our ultimate goal is to produce a piano which is very much in tune,
regardless of temperament.  In this case, I believe Ed took the raw Young
temperament and "honed" it until he felt that it would not have any sounds
which might shock the pianist, the recording engineers or the eventual
listeners.  In doing so, he produced an incredibly clean, in tune sound.
  
    In any tuning and temperament however, one compromise must give way to
another.  Beethoven's harmonies were known to have startled and shocked the
listeners of the time.  While they may have offended some, they became part of
what was new, adventurous, exciting and titilating about his music to others.
In ET, these raw sounding dissonances are severely compromised.  In Ed's
tuning there is only a trace of the powerful color that other stronger
temperaments can provide. 

    This demonstrates clearly that there is no one right answer.   There is
rather a path on which we might lead the pianist and listeners to an ever
broadening interest, understanding and desire for more adventure.

Two other issues stand out to me in Jim's response:

    There have been many on the List who seem to be very concerned about a
particular HT being authentic.  I have said that authenticity was not nearly
as important as basic proportions.  Immediately, there were critics and
skeptics who took this to mean that a "sloppy" HT is OK.  This is not so.  ET
by definition must be perfectly equal or it is not an ET.  However a "Young"
which is mitigated becomes just that, a mitigated Young.  It may well end up
meeting the defintion of a Victorian temperament.  In my view, the tuner must
craft the temperament to suit the situation.  There may be times when
adherence to particular proportions may be what is required to get the desired
result but in many instances, a tuner's discretion is what makes the outcome
truly unique and special.

     To approach the tuning of HT's by using a "deviation of a deviation", as
I see it, is a way of not ever developing a true understanding of the
character and possibilities of the HT's.  This is much like learning to tune a
piano with an ETD and relying solely on the program without having developed
the sensitivity to know whether the program is right or inaccurate.  I know
that there are some really good tuners of HT's who use this approach but it is
not one I would recommend for a beginner in the study of HT's nor is it a
method which I could ever personally trust.  If the manufacturers of
Electronic Keyboards use this approach as their only source and method, you
can be sure that what you are hearing is someone else's mistake, albeit
unequal.

     Please be assured that it is as perfectly permissible to use the pre-
calculated deviations of an SAT or Reyburn program and alter the results by
ear to make the final outcome suit your perception of what the piano ought to
sound like as it is when tuning ET.   If the artist or customer is not
satisfied with your efforts and wants something different, that person will
tell you just as he/she would if the temperament was equal.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin