Temperament, A pianist responds

[David Love]

I think both Brendel and Schnabel have said that they try to remain true to
the intentions of the composer.  They never met him either.  But there is a
line from Beethoven through various students and teachers that has probably
both maintained and distorted his interpretive intentions.

David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: <A440A@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: December 12, 2001 3:23 AM
Subject: Re: Temperament, A pianist responds


> Greetings,
> David writes:
> << But many fine pianists don't
>
> prefer it and find the larger range and tonal palette of a modern piano
>
> offering a greater means of expression without compromising the intentions
>
> of the composer. <<
>
>    This statement makes it appear that David knows what the intentions of
the
> composers are, and he even goes so far as to state that using an age
> appropriate tuning represents a tuners impostition of his own tastes,(more
so
> than using ET).
>     To follow this logic to its absurd end, using a modern piano, in
modern
> ET, represents the least intrusion on the composers intentions.  That is a
> premise that makes no sense to me whatsoever.  It sounds more like poorly
> supported justification for remaining in the status quo.
>
> >>Are Schnabel and Brendel only making due with compromises?
>
> Are they all sadly misguided?.>>
>
>      Yes, and Yes. That is the whole point of this discussion.  Modern
ears
> have been inured by science.  Last month's masterclass experience with a
very
> widely respected teacher from a major music school proves it, at least to
me.
>  This professor/concert artist didn't even realize that the D he used to
> demonstrate Beethoven passages had been tuned in a Young temperament.
Even
> side by side with the other piano in ET, he didn't notice the difference
in
> sound!!  Just how closely was he listening to what was coming out of the
> piano?
>      There is more to this music than can be had from a modern piano in
ET.
> Since there is a dramatic shortage of fortepianos, the next best step in
> fully illuminating composer's "intentions" is to at least get the
intonation
> closer to the original.  Hence, the temperament revival.  (and there are a
> LOT more tuners involved in this move than ever before, thanks to the SAT,
> RCT, VT- etc).
> Regards,
> Ed Foote RPT
>
> Regards,
> Ed Foote RPT
>
>