OFF (*was: neurology)

[Richard Moody]

Many of Ted's comments are agreeable particularly the ones
about standards in music.
There are 12 tones to the octave, 5 lines to the music
staff, 7 white keys and 6 black keys in the keyboard octave.
In the 20th century we have seen in the arts efforts ranging
from ultimate creativity  to abject nihilism.   If the
musician can't accept 7 white keys and 6 black keys they can
try the violin or cello.   If the poet gets tired of letters
on paper they take up painting.  This shows there is a
standard or structure of art, without which the beauty, or
"essence" is not easily perceved.
      One point of ET as the "standard temperament" is that
the piano player unlike any other instrument player plays or
can play a different instrument every time he plays.  The
only thing he/she has in common between these different
instruments is the tuning.   If the tuning is the same the
music sounds the same. (the reality is that even with
different tunings the music still sounds the same execpt for
ocasional fleeting execptions).   Which is the real reason
ET has become the standard, the others (temperaments) don't
sound that much different and for the musician 99% of the
time ET is better.   For a standard one tuning then is
preferred, it happens to be ET.
.
    Sure  tunings other than ET can be proposed for some
music but look closely at the reasons.  How many altermative
proposals are historically "correct"?    As far as known,
none of the composers left instructions on how to the the
keyboard to play their compositions.  If temperament was
important as pedaling, phrasing, tempo, or ornaments,  one
thinks it (temperament) should have somehow been indicated.
    The argument that ET is only modern is history by
omission.  The concept of ET goes all the way back to the
Ancient Greeks, Artisoxenes apparently.  To be sure the
ability to tune ET has been getting better and better, and
the effort to tune ET in the 18th and 19th centuries cannot
be denied and certainly cannot be compared to another
temperament as far as effect on music is concerned.  In
regards to "key color" look closely at that concept as a
historical reality.    What is the evidence that temperament
has anything to do with "key color".  First of all define
"key color", then show how it exists in history.   Yes there
are scattered references in the historical record but not
like anything you are lead to believe in  one modern book
that seems to be the only reference many of the piano tuner
HT enthusiasts have consulted. And when taken to task to
support generalizations by fact, the enthusiasts  then
realize the tome they espouse is lacking in that basic
academic standard, or reply in effect "don't confuse the
issue with the facts".
    If one wants to believe and try to convince others that
music has more "color" in an HT than music in ET that is OK,
as long as everyone thinks more color means more beautiful,
appealing or whatever, but I think "color" in music from
temperament comes out closer to meretricious, rather than
meritorious.    ---ric


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. The post might give the impression that I am opposed to
the use of historic tunings. Nothing could be farther from
my intentions. It is not enough for one to put forward the
argument that one did a historic tuning for such and such a
client and they declared it the best tuning they ever heard;
it is merely anecdotal, subjective, and open to all kinds of
interpretation. Besides, such opinions can come about
through proselytizing, and any Well tuning will certainly be
an improvement on an out of tune piano.
    When one normally tunes In Equal Temperamant this is not
being in any way imposed on the client. One is working to an
official and accepted standard, in every way comparable to
other standards, like the length of a foot, the weight of a
kilogram, the size of an acre.