Hearing the difference-a related question

[A440A@aol.com]

Steve writes:

<<  but that brought another 
>question to mind. How can a piano tuned in ET perform with a professional 
>orchestra that is ostensibly trying to perform in Just Temperament? Or is 
>this a non issue? >>

    Greetings, 
     Orchestra's have a pretty flexible intonation, they really don't have a 
temperament. Notes' pitches change with the keys.  Whatever they are playing, 
it sure isn't ET.    Pianists are another matter, altogether.  
     Perhaps an ET piano is closest to the midpoint of whatever tolerances 
the other instruments maintain, but I don't think it is essential.  At times, 
 a well-tempered piano has been regarded as more focussed in a concerto 
performance.  The slight divergences from the theoretical ET in a WT are less 
than most instruments' vibrato, so no large stretch is required of a string 
player to play "in key" with an unequally tempered piano.  We had great 
success using a Young for Beethoven's 3rd.  The pianist seemed to have an 
easier time staying "on top" of the wall of sound behind her.  
Regards, 
    
 Ed Foote RPT 
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html