well tempered temperaments

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John  writes:

<< Thanks so much, I'm an anxiously awaiting trying some of this out! 
Would you say the Kirnberger is a more mild temperament? >>

Greetings, 
   Not at all!  The Kirnberger has a Just C-E third, which requires a LOT of 
tempering elsewhere to make up for it.  
      Not only does the key of C have a pure third in it, the keys of F, G, 
Bb and D are also much more consonant that ET with their thirds only tempered 
5,  5 ,10, and 9 cents (respectively).  When you have this many smoother 
thirds, there has to be a lot of cents given to those remaining.   There will be 
three keys with a 21 cent tonic third, (Ab, C#, F#).  and two(E and B) with 19 
cent tonic thirds. Eb is only slightly more "colorful" than ET with a 16 cent 
third. 
   These large differences between the smallest and largest thirds make this 
temperament capable of great contrasts in modulation.  Used carefully, it can 
really light up a piece of music that makes use of this quality, creating 
beautiful harmony and resolutions.  In its strength also lies its weakness, 
though.  A more modern composition in which the composer didn't expect such 
differences, might sound harsh.  
   At the time of the Kirnberger III's publication, the piano was still a 
very lightly strung instrument, and the effect of large thirds was perhaps not so 
evident.  On a modern piano, the syntonic comma is a noticeable harmonic 
quality.  Whether it is a plus or a negative is, I think, dependant on the 
listener's expectation.  
    I used this tuning for Beethoven's "Pathetique" on the "Beethoven in the 
Temperaments" recording.  The dirge-like quality of the second mvt. (in Ab) 
caused more comments than any other passage on the recording.  A number of 
tuners mentioned the harshness, but more than several musicians and music lovers 
commented on how emotionally expressive that passage was.  There are no fixed 
values to the effect of dissonance, it is received differently by different 
listeners, and I can only encourage tuners to find their own perspective through 
the use of these temperaments.  Comparing them with a variety of music is the 
only way to determine one's own aesthetic position.  
     The important thing, (imho), is to expose the ears to a wide variety.  
There is no universal right or wrong, there are only differences in consonance 
and how it is used.
Regards,    


Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html