Bach and E.T. or W.T.

[A440A@AOL.COM]

  Don writes:

<< I also agree that
it can be enhanced by unequal temperaments, but I feel that, perhaps, we
should continue to understand that this "enhancement" may not
be necessary, and may actually cause us to rely on the unequalness for
our musical enjoyment, overshadowing a deeper and more subtle sense of
the key relationships. >>

Greetings, 
     "If this is good, then more is better, lots more is lots better, and too 
much is just right!"  (:)}}
     My natural tendency is to look for all the performance possible in 
whatever I get involved with, ( it made me a pretty good engine builder for 
efforts here at a local racetrack!) Some tracks require very different 
camshafts for best perfomance, different demands being best resolved by 
particular power characteristics.   Though something of a stretch, I see a 
similar relationship  between composition and temperament, ie a palette of 
temperaments as having the tools to fine-tune the harmonic performance of an 
instrument, which one just depends on what track(composition) your setting it 
up for.  
      I hope to avoid a confrontive or competitive framing of the temperament 
discussion, at least in the early laps.   That can be saved for later.  At 
the moment,  the immediate task is in creating an awareness of the 
alternatives to a single-temperament approach and making the investigation of 
the temperaments more attractive to the working technician. 
      It is that investigation that will provide the grist for more 
meaningful discussions of what the temperaments are worth. At the moment, the 
topic is a novelty, but less so than before.  With increasing numbers of 
techs exploring the possibilities,  there will be a lot more content to 
compare and profit from. 
    I am beginning to question how fast the tuners of the late 1700-1800's 
could have been persuaded to change their tuning.   Unless the tuners of 
yesteryear were a LOT more progressive and open to change than we today,  the 
changing of temperament styles was much slower than what the theorists 
writings would indicate.  
    
 >>If we eat jabanera salsa every day for a few
months, can we taste the subtleties of the type of onion used in a
meatloaf? 

   If I eat habanera salso every day for a few months,  the last thing in the 
world I am going to be thinking about is.........., well, never mind! 

  >>I expect to continue tuning these new/old temperaments occasionally for
the enjoyment of the sound, and to educate my palate so that I am able to
intelligently recommend alternate temperaments when a musician is
interested.<<

   Good,  and when you realize, too late, that they are addictive, you will 
remember I told you so. (:)}}

>>and am hoping to catch your class.
 
   Please do!.  I hope all the pianotech members can make it there,  it may 
help make a little more sense out of my obtuse fixations.  We have invited 
the Smithsonian technicians, hopefully they will come out for it.  Dave 
Lameroux is getting more technical and specific in his class and we really 
anticipate the two temperament classes synergistically having some effect.  
Thanks for the note, 
Ed Foote RPT