George Gershwin's Music

david severance severanc@mail.wsu.edu
Tue, 27 Jun 2000 09:30:13 -0700 (PDT)


At 02:59 PM 6/26/00 PDT, you wrote:
>
>Hey all,
>
>Just played Gershwin's Preludes the other day - after tuning my own piano 
>with EBVT - these pieces have "life."
>
>My question is this:  How many tuners on this list actually play piano at a 
>proficient level (definition: Bach Prelude & Fugues, Beethoven Sonatas, 
>Chopin, Liszt, Brahms to start)  If you do, have you actually taken time to 
>play different repetoire, from Bach to Cage on a Well-tempered piano?

Hi Jay

Although I will grant to you that most music from the common practice can
sound fine performed on instruments tuned in HTs, John Cage's composition 4'
33" must be performed in equal temperament. Historical temperaments do not
lend themselves to the subtle nuances of modulation this piece demands. This
is a 20th century piece it should only be performed in a 20th century
temperament!


David Severance 
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164



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