Non-ETs

[Don Gilmore]

I write a fair amount of music myself and, to me, "key color" would be an
annoyance; its absense is a boon.  Suddenly I'm limited as to what I can
write in what key?  I like having the freedom of writing whatever I want in
whatever key I like and rely on the same chords, intervals and melody
sounding the same way, regardless of key.  This way I can decide on the key
for what I believe are more important reasons such as vocal/instrumental
ranges, fingering facility, other keys I plan to modulate to, etc.  The
piece can also be transposed at will, which is important.  I get this with
equal temperament only.

Don A. Gilmore
Mechanical Engineer
Kansas City

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <A440A@aol.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 3:33 PM
Subject: Re: Non-ETs


> Phil writes:
>
> <<  A Mozart
> concerto played by Seth Carlin on a Walter fortepiano with the
Philharmonia
> Baroque in Herbst Theater is a completely different thing than the same
> concerto played on a Steinway D by Andre Watts with the New York
> Philharmonic at Lincoln Center.  >>
>
> It may be of some interest that when Seth Carlin recorded a Schubert
project
> two years ago,  he had me come to St. Louis and keep the forte piano tuned
in
> a Young temperament.  He thought it was important.
>
> >>The differences made by instruments,
> performers, orchestral size, and venue are so large as to render any
> differences in choice of temperament incidental or trivial, in my view.<<
>
>    hmm,  then why are we so caught up in all the test, checks, etc.  to
make
> ET as perfectly ET as possible when we do tune it?  The difference between
the
> finest ET possible and one that barely fails the Guild test for ET is far
> less than the difference between either of them and a Broadwood.  If
temperament
> is of so little importance, there is no point in having such
stringent,(=/- 1
> cent?) tests.
>    To those that have come to rely on the resources in a WT, the lack of
key
> color in ET is profound.  I think a  well-rounded tech should be familiar
with
> the various ways of tempering and conversant in regards to their use.  If
> someone wants to make the case that ET is superior to any other, for all
music,
> that is their business.  Just don't be surprised when a musician choses
> something else when given the chance to hear a comparison.
>    I have, for 10 years, been seeing roomfuls of techs, and musicians,
> prefer a WT piano over an ET one.  There are exceptions, of course, but in
blind
> comparisons, the majority of techs go for the WT.  When it is musicians,
the
> overwhelming majority prefer the WT.  Does it make sense for technicians
to
> continue trying to champion a tuning that is so often rejected as the only
one
> that is needed?
> Regards,
>
>
> Ed Foote RPT
> http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
> www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
>
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