Hi Ed, Thanks for the post. This pianist isn't at all intimidated by the temperaments. He's even done a program on a Clavinova, doing his own Marpurg based on his research. Could be fun. Avery At 09:29 AM 01/15/00 -0500, you wrote: >Avery writes: > > 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. > > 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? > >Greetings, > It is obviously impossible to know what tuning was in Chopin's mind > when >he composed, but there are several logical choices. > During Chopin's lifespan, intonation changed. Did he, early on form > his >impressions while listening to well tempered pianos? Very likely. Could he >have preferred Mr. Hipkins tuning, (said to be equal temperament)? Just as >likely. > What about the the DeMorgan tuning that Owen writes about? It makes a >profound difference in Chopin's music, and is a contender by chronological >proximity and its color effects. > I would suggest that a side by side comparison of ET with something like >the "Broadwood's Best" or, if you really wanted to be contemporary, use one >of Jim Coleman's Victorian temperaments, perhaps his # 14. A Young would >offer a very workable, graduated series of tonal steps that you could make >decisions upon. > In the final analysis, the only way to determine the best tuning is to >listen to several that history tells us were possibilities and make a value >judgement based on what you hear. Many musicians are fearful at this point. >To a musician that knows temperaments only as a jumble of names and changes, >choice itself can be fraught with peril. However, a technician knowledgable >about the evolution of our tuning can be a guide in these matters, and >quickly become a more valued opinion. > As we change from 20th century intonation to whatever is next, (and >there will be a next), the major intonational influences could come from >the professional tuning technicians, it could crawl out of a computer, or >both, who knows? A better understanding of 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th >century tonality may be a prerequisite to intonation's next step, and if so, >we as technicians get to take part in changing the course of music. (Change >is the only constant! Get on the great mandela! The answer is blowing in the >windows of little tuning machines and big, (well) read books). > If you are really fortunate, you can find enough local pianists to start >a movement!(:)}} > >Regards, >Ed Foote
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