HT at UIB

[Robin Blankenship]

Ric and David,
Do you know of any contemporary composers (say, the last 50 years or so) who
call for a particular temprament?? The physical attributes of an instrument,
it's tonal resources, etc., certainly affect the music created for it. It
seems reasonable that the temprament commonly used would do the same. As
when a pitch correction interacts with itself, so to speak, any parameter of
performance affects all the others which in turn affect it. Your basic
chicken and egg problem. We have a wonderful way of resetting our world view
when the world changes. The first time I listened to Jimi Hendrix it was
total mish-mash. I re-heard the record over and over. Gradually, it became
to make sense. Perhaps, virtually any temprament would become "acceptable"
if persistently employed. Nothing of fear from this. Diversity with a
purpose can be a good thing.

Robin Blankenship

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Brekne <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 18, 2000 1:40 AM
Subject: Re: HT at UIB


> Hi David...
>
> You know I had the same feeling and reaction the first couple weeks, but
slowly
> I also am being affected. Its kinda like you get used to hearing different
> sounds after a bit, and then they start becomming attractive.
>
> I found interesting reading relating diatonic scale music vs whole tone
scale
> music to time periods where different temperaments were in use... I am
left
> wondering which affected the other more... music or the kind of
temperament
> available.
>
> In any case... its fun and interesting, and definatly is generating more
and
> more interest in what I do. And I like that for sure.
>
> David Ilvedson wrote:
>
> > Richard,
> >
> > I have my own piano tuned to the Valotti page on the SAT III.  I have
been
> > playing this for a couple of weeks.  I find the pure or nearly pure
thirds
> > interesting but I'm having a hard time with the abrupt changes in other
key.
> > I will be trying the Young next.
> >
> > David I.
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On
Behalf
> > > Of Richard Brekne
> > > Sent: Friday, November 17, 2000 1:11 PM
> > > To: PTG
> > > Subject: HT at UIB
> > >
> > >
> > > List
> > >
> > > Many of you know I have embarked on a path towards learning more about
> > > Historical Temperaments. I thought I might relate about a curious
> > > development at the UiB this past week. After about 3 weeks of exposure
to
> > > one piano tuned with the help of Cyber Ear to the Vallotti Young
> > > temperament, I beging to notice this particular piano more and
> > > more in use.
> > > I walked by the room yesterday and was a bit suprised to hear this
> > > instrument being vigorously used, so I hazardly entered to see what
was
> > > going on. Here was this young girl just enthralled in her playing....
she
> > > stopped abrubtly when she noticed me and smiled up at me a bit
embarresed.
> > > I asked her about the tuneing, what she thought and she said she
> > > just loved
> > > it... wanted to know more about why it sounded the way it did.
> > >
> > > We got into this rather lengthy discussion about the differences
between
> > > equal temperaments and non equal but non restrictive temperaments
(what I
> > > have surmised so far anyways) and she just couldnt get enough info.
Asked
> > > many questions I had no real answers too. I left her after explaining
what
> > > I could to her, telling her that my understanding of the music she was
> > > playing was that the composer (Bach) very purposely used the
> > > different keys
> > > to both demonstrate the non-restrictive nature of this kind of
> > > temperament,
> > > and to purposely exploit the difference in key color, that if she
thought
> > > over what the composer did and where (from a composition theory point
of
> > > view) she might gain a new perspective into this music. I also told
her I
> > > was on shakey ground as far as all this was concerned, but regardless
the
> > > effort would be an enlightening one for her.
> > >
> > > She and 2 others students have related to me today that they
> > > would like one
> > > of the practice grands tuned this way, that they find it much more
> > > enjoyable to play on... that they didnt quite like the sound at first
but
> > > the more they play on it the more they want that sound and not what
they
> > > have been used to.
> > >
> > > Just thought you might like to know.
> > >
> > > Also... a bit to the side of this... I find reading Owen Jorgensens
> > > descriptions of how pianos were tuned in the 19th century and before
> > > enthralling. Especially the idea that piano tuners didnt
> > > neccessarilly play
> > > intervals while tuning, rather singles note in succession. Finding the
> > > right pitch for notes much in the manner we find the right pitch when
> > > singing. This was "ear tuning", and what we do today was known as
"beat
> > > counting".. you had "ear tuners" and "beat counters". Must have been
quite
> > > a different... I shall use the word paradigm...
> > >
> > > What a neat place the world of HT is.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Richard Brekne
> > > RPT, N.P.T.F.
> > > Bergen, Norway
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
> --
> Richard Brekne
> RPT, N.P.T.F.
> Bergen, Norway
>
>