Historic tuning modes

Newton Hunt nhunt@optonline.net
Wed, 27 Mar 2002 19:31:50 -0500


That is OLD information and the references were to specific pages in the
old "Tuning Historical Temperaments By Ear", the first book on the
subject by Owen and was taken from a telephone conversation while I was
trying to get information on what HT I should use for which composer or
period.  I think that the reference to ET should be 1928 not 1828.  I
likely misunderstood what Mr. Jorgensen said or took libatious
liberties.

200 HTs?  How can you keep them all straight?  Or not straight as the
case is. :)

		Newton

Jason Kanter wrote:
> 
> Greetings, list. In looking through my old stuff, I have come across a page
> that I tore out of the Piano Technicians Journal in March (year uncertain,
> probably 1979 give or take a year) ... it is Newton Hunt's "Accent on
> Tuning" column, where he recounts a conversation with Owen Jorgensen at the
> Cincinnati convention. Here is the quote:
> 
> "I spoke to Mr. Jorgensen, who reluctantly confined himself to the following
> general (but not necessarily accurate -- historically and musically
> speaking) five tuning modes:
> 
> "(1) For music composed from the early 1500's to 1695, use the Grammateus...
> 
> "(2) Most composers (before Bach) from the early 1500s to 1722 used the Aron
> Meantone temperament...except the English, who preferred [the Grammateus]
> ...
> 
> "(3) From 1722 to 1809 the Aron-Neidhardt ... was used by Mozart, Haydn, and
> early Beethoven, as well as Bach.
> 
> "(4) Marpurg "I", 1809 to 1828, Schubert and late Beethoven.
> 
> "(5) From 1828 equal temperament began to be used..."
> 
> (Please let's not devolve into an argument about whether equal temperament
> ever was or ever is actually possible to tune! ... the information above
> comes straight from Jorgensen, via Newton, through the old Journal, to me,
> to you.)
> 
> I must note that my own website, which contains images of 75 historical
> temperaments, does not have clear identifications of any of the above except
> the Grammateus. I am starting to incorporate other data and now have almost
> 200 temperaments in my Excel spreadsheet, but it will be a while before I am
> able to update the site.
> 
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> jason kanter * piano tuning * piano teaching
> bellevue, wa * 425 562 4127 * cell 425 831 1561
> orcas island * 360 376 2799
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