6 degree liner notes, (sorta long)

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Greetings, 
  Ric writes( with smouldering trolls in his hamper, I bet (;)}}

<<I hope you mean 1/4 comma.
  Yes,  it's the real thing, 41 cent wolves and churning fifths.   

>>    You said there was debate amongst us tuners.   I think the real
debate should be among the performers, music historians,
musicologists, the listeners, the critics...in that order, as far as
"what temperament is appropariate"

      I think that's debatable!  (so we must debate what we should debate? 
Ah,  here we go... )
     The "performers, music historians,musicologists, the listeners, the 
critics..." cannot debate the merits of temperament without us, since at this 
stage of the revival the tuner must also be the instructor.  We are the first 
to become aware of the heretofore unrecognized possibilites of non-ET.  We 
can also debate the most efficient way of communicating with the artists.  
       Many, if not most,  20th century musicians are oblivious to 
temperament, and cannot offer a valid discussion without some experience 
playing them or at least, hearing them.   So the tuner has a part in the 
decision making process, simply by what he decides to show the perfomers, 
etc.  

  >>The debate among us tuners should be as always, "Is this a good
Quarter Comma Meantone" , just as it is, "Is this a decent ET?"  We
are the only authorities on the accuracy of the tuning.<< 

  Agreed.  I do think it important that the technician have an historical 
foundation, of some sort, to make temperament suggestions, and a real loose 
attitude about what is the "best".  Pianists aren't used to listening to 
these sorts of changes, and are often swimming in ambiguity if overloaded 
with value suggestions about propriety or "best".  Playing a WT will do the 
heavy lifting for us, generally. Then we can go about explaining things.  
      I have found that the introduction goes best with the least change to 
get them out of ET.  Keep the first tuning's widest thirds under 18 cents and 
the percentage of acceptance goes way up, near 100%.  
     Listening to my own recordings, I wonder, at times if we went too 
strong.  The Haydn is so "expressive" it places it scares me, (though my wife 
opens up a big jar of rapture and wades around in it).   And there will be 
some that like the occasional wolf note in the Mozart comparison, but it 
clangs on me every time it is used.  I consider it an interruption, while 
others may consider it a blast of color, like a tart blueberry in the muffin. 
 Who knows, these are are subjective responses to the stimuli of an art; 
wrong, right, best, etc. will be defined as a result of a process, not as a 
fiat by any one authority.   

>>One other aspect of "historical temperaments" might be considered
and that is today is the first time in musical history that various
temperaments can be compared side by side.  << 

     Agreed 100% ,  a perfect description for one of the most important 
contributions that technology has made to music in the last decade or so.  We 
have research, machines, and instant communication, so how could we not open 
up an investigation of all the temperaments unlike anything before?  
 
And then Ric pulls one of them incandescent trolls out and rolls it down the 
ally

>>    So much for 1/4 comma MT.   Other than Pythagorean (pure fifths)
the rest you can't hear the difference.  Thus the debate.     ---ric>>

   Well,  I respectfully disagree, I believe you will be able to hear the 
heavier contrast in the Haydn (Kirnberger) as opposed to the Coleman tuning 
for the Grieg,  and I certainly think the difference between the WT(Prelleur) 
and ET in the Mozart comparison is easily discernable.  However, that is just 
what I THINK,  but now that we have a record that documents some sounds, we 
can actually base the discussion on sounds instead of theory. Give it a 
listen and then we can compare notes. (p)
   I also forgot to mention, these temperament records are 
business-deductible expenses, since research is an accepted part of any 
business. 
REgards, 
Ed Foote RPT