Temperament for Chopin ?

[Richard Moody]

Chopin had a close realtion ship with Camille Pleyel who not only owned a
piano factory but was also a music publisher.   It would be interesting to
research the records of Playel to see if there is a mention of how they 
tuned the pianos in the factory. 

	In the bibliography of the article "Temperament" in New Groves are three
works of Marpug, published from 1756 to 1790.  They have German titles and
no note is given to indicate they were translated into English.  This was
well before Chopin's time.  (1810-1849).  Listed also is a work on tuning
by C Montal, published in Paris in 1834 .  Again no note as to
translations.  I have heard this is about ET, or there is a description of
how to tune ET in there.  Ellis, in the appendex to his translation of
Helmholtz, _On the Sensation of Tone_  mentioned a tuner for Broadwood
(A.J. Hipkinsa) who favored ET and did concert tunings for Chopin. (London
1848)
	For something other than ET for Chopin, I would look for publications
during or after his lifetime, in French, with reference to the Pleyel
factory.  If not available, New Groves gives a very good background of the
history of temperaments, and how they developed in various regions.  Check
page 668.  Page 670 gives detail about Marpurg, beginning with "The most
vigorous and articlulate late 18th century champion of equal temperament
seems to have been F., W Marpurg."  Quoting Marpurg, "There is only one
kind of equal temperament but countless possible types of unequal
temperament.  Thus the latter opens up to speculative musicians an
unstinting source of modifications, and since every musician will readily
invent one, the result will be that from time to time we shall be
presented with a new type of unequal temperament and everyone will declare
his own the best."  p. 670 "Temperaments" New Groves.  
	Marpurg apparently collected every modification known.
Also mentioned is a book on piano tuning by Jousse "espressing preference
for a subtly unequal tempeament..." 1832
---ric 

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> From: Avery Todd <avery@ev1.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: A question on temperament-Dale
> Date: Thursday, January 13, 2000 8:16 PM
> 
> Ed and others interested,
> 
>     Just as kind of an aside on this subject, a DMA piano performance
> major talked to me today about doing a Marpurg I and an ET on two of
> our D's for a Lecture Recital he has to do for his degree. He'll be
> playing Chopin.
>     I showed him the offsets in the SAT manual and he doesn't think
> that's the same one he's been using for the piece he's talking about.
> So I may be inquiring more after we explore it some. He's supposed
> to bring me the information he has some time next week.
>     One of our theory professors took a class with Owen and has told
> him that Owen said he was pretty convinced that Chopin used a
> Marpurg. Comments?
> 
> Avery