Temperament, A pianist responds

[Richard Brekne]

Richard Moody wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <A440A@AOL.COM>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2001 5:23 AM
> Subject: Re: Temperament, A pianist responds
> 
>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 musc 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. Evenside by >side with the other piano in ET, he didn't notice the difference in sound!!
> 
>  Regards,
>  Ed Foote RPT
> 
> 
> So please explain why it is so important to tune in a different temperament
> if the experts can't even hear the difference especially against a piano in
> ET?  ---ric


Perhaps so that these "experts" can once again learn to
descern the difference between and aumented 4th and a
diminished 5th ?..... for example ?  Point being that
hearing in this context is not a matter of "can't even hear"
as it is a matter of "not knowing the difference" (aurally).
We are in the realm of ear training methinks.

In one sense it doesnt mean jack diddly... sure everyone can
go happily on with ET...ignorance is bliss.... all that. But
that other tonal world is certainly out there.... and it
seems to me kind of ...... sad at best to simply ignore its
presence.

Besides... I personally wouldnt want to be a Professor of
music and have it revealed that some piano tooner from
Bumfrog Indiana could so easily demonstrate that my aural
skills were on the level of your average 2nd semester
tadpole.


-- 
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no