Ric writes: >Never-the-less in music as in listening to music at tempo, these distinctions of temperament seem to disapear. Execpt perhaps when "compromised intervals" happen to be played and only when held as in half notes or longer. Whom ever is able to distinquish better than this is welcome to demonstrate. < These effects of temperament are easily distinguished. On a well tempered piano, play the prelude in C# from the WTC in C#, and then transpose it to C. You will immediately notice the lack of vitality and drive in the music. There is a definite difference caused by the wide C#-F third and it is the tonal texture of the harmony. There are no held notes in this passage, everything is fast, but the temperament difference is great. > Getting back to Kirnberger III with a just c-e-g triad I am curious to know if it is all just. Or if c--g is tempered narrow but with c--e being pure which is the beginning of Meantone. < Yes, the C-E is Just, the C-G is tempered 1/4 of a syntonic comma. I was referring to the thirds when I described the Just nature of the tuning. >You mention his earlier ones, where g--b and f--a is just. Actually that is Meantone unless the remaining 5ths are tempered so that there will not be a wolf 5th. < Oops, mea culpa on this one. In the equal beating version, the G-B, C-E and D-F# are Just. The F-A is 10 cents wide,(still nice sounding) and the A-C# is only 8 cents wide. Creating this much purity is harmonically expensive, and requires that there be four thirds expanded to the maximum of 21 cents,(Db-F, Ab-C, Eb-G, and Bb-D). This is the 1/2 Syntonic comma well temperament. Very easy to tune, very probable that it saw wide use. >If this is the case what 5ths are tempered and how much, and what are the musical implications? The G-D, D-A, and A-E fifths were tempered by 1/3 syntonic comma ( 7 cents). Stanhope considered these fifths "offensive". Excuse the mis-label Regards, Ed Foote RPT
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC