Another Recital in 1/7 Comma Meantone

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

Dear List,

I had the pleasure of attending yet another evening of piano music last night 
that disproved once again some of the notions many people have and that have 
been written about right here on this List.  Timothy Farley RPT hosted the 
French pianist, Désiré N'Kaoua who played an evening of Romantic music on a 
Steinway D.

The program featured Bach-Busoni, Beethoven, Chopin, Fauré and Ravel.  The 
piano was tuned in the 1/7 Comma Meantone Temperament.  I have seen and heard 
it suggested that all of the above would *require* Equal Temperament (ET) 
and/or that a program with this range could *only* be accommodated by ET.

Of particular note was the rendition of Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique, the 
very same one which was performed in the very same temperament at the 
Convention in Albuquerque in 1995.  On this List it was called inappropriate, 
bad, too much dissonance, etc.  It is amazing to me how the very same piece 
could be played the same way but in a different environment with no such 
reaction, just acceptance and long, sustained applause.

The technician who hosted this even *never* tunes a piano in ET and neither 
do I.  Neither of us plan on tuning any pianos in ET at any time in the 
future.  Why should we do what everybody else does just for the sake of being 
like everyone else?  There are so many possibilities to discover and enjoy.  
Why would anyone want to do the same thing everybody else does?  The only 
Standard that exists is for the pitch of A4 and nothing else.  Every other 
note of the piano is fair game for and interpretation that will bring 
excitement, pleasure and interest back to music.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin