Historical temperamentals (longer)

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Greetings, 
Jim B. writes:
>Don't we all, whatever theme we use, tune 'based on a theory'?  Just as
>it is impossible to tune a "perfect" ET it is equally impossible to tune a
>"perfect" HT of any variety, isn't it?

I agree..  Perfect is an unrealistic expectation for anything mortal, I will 
use the word to describe a finished process, not an attained ideal. 
     
> So in this sense we are tuning, whatever, based on and following the 
>"theory" but never really acheiving it due to the limitations of measurment,
>hearing, inharmonicity of scale and limitations of the particular instrument
>be it guitar or piano ??

    It would be closer to my thinking if we change "theory" to "philosophy".  
My tuning is being done within a philosophy,  and with that change, the 
"limitations" become just another characteristic of the instrument.  A 
feature, if you will, not a bug.   
     I am using a variety of tunings in a variety of places, i.e. a 
Broadwood's "Best" in a local bar, (they make much pun off the name with the 
occasional drunk "lady", otherwise I would have had a Coleman 11 on there) to 
a really tight-bassed ET in a studio setting with all sorts of other 
instruments.  The philosophy is "The perfect tuning is one that maximizes the 
musical experience".  This means different temperaments in different places. 
 Jim again,     
>  While there may be a "buzz" when tuning in ET...isn't the extra "power"
>that you ascribe to certain temperaments also tied to limitations of that
>same temperament, limitations forced upon the instrument due to the "extra
>power" of certain keys/notes ?

    I am not sure I understand the question, but I'll take a flier.  My 
customers react to ET in a different way, after listening to others.  They 
often comment on how busy it sounds, and how there is no place that feels 
calm. 
   The power comes, imo, from the ability to make contrasts.    The thing 
that customers react to first is the increased clarity in the simpler key's 
thirds, 17th, etc.  They remark on how the pedal doesn't muddy the sound in 
this tuning.   Then they get to the "expressive" edges of the higher keys and 
start grasping an aural "texture" that they were unaware existed.   It is 
often an epiphany for them.  
That is the "powerful attachments" about which I earlier posted.  If that 
ain't what you asked, please resend. 
Regards, 
Ed