TITO asks >...I personally like the idea of tuning in the >temperments..my concern is the instrument..or >should it be..? Hi all, No, the temperaments give no cause for alarm. I have been told by the factory engineering department, via D. Grossi, that there is no danger to the instrument from the tunings, even if taken to A-443. In a Young, the max deviation from ET is 6 cents, and only two out of the twelve go that sharp. There are others that are flattened. Going to 442 is a lot bigger change on the piano than going from ET to WT. (see last paragraph (below) in relation to this) As far as should you? That depends on the program. A really nice well tempered piano is out of place on a Ravel program, TME- (to my ear). OTOH, a Beethoven concerto calls for a Kirnberger or Young. The differences in concerto performance are outstanding. The piano sound is not lost in a haze of tempering. Modulations into the most expressive keys put the piano on top of the orchestra with little force. A pianist once described it as "power steering". The concerti sound different when the piano is able to be "in key". We temperament crusaders, ( and 1% is too low a figure for us) need to be cautious. It is counterproductive to feed an uninitiated ear a huge dose of dissonance on first exposure. You can ruin newbies on the idea in a hurry if you scare them. Other musicians tend to get skittish when you start talking about changing the temperament. Many don't really know what a "temperament" is, but they know they are used to something, and are seldom enthusiastic about changing. If you want daring, ask permission to put the piano in a Young(1799) for the symphony rehearsal, (assuming the program calls for it) This will be a pitch raise, so they can be prepared for a "loose" tuning. Tune a VERY clean WT in the 8 cent pitch raise, (Sats, RCTS work great here!) Don't make a big deal out of it with the musicians, just try to get permission to quietly change the tuning. If there is any problem, the pitch raise takes the heat, not the temperament, and you can change it back to ET in your final tuning at the higher pitch. Just don't go too far before you have some credibility. Also, if this is your first time to tune for them, AND you are not comfortably experienced in the use of WT, you may want to shelve the avante-garde for a little bit. Don't do initial experimentation in your biggest performance venue, a misunderstanding can ruin your reputation with them ! Well tempered regards, Ed Foote
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