Bach's tuning discussion on harpsichord list continued

Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 19:31:36 -0500
Sender: Harpsichords and Related Topics
From: mcgeary thomas nelson
Subject: Re: temperaments

I would be grateful for a tabulated list that supports John's i mpression.
When I was surveying practical tuning manuals for my study of tuning
in German-speaking areas 1770-1828, just the opposite was the pattern.
All the real keyboard teachers (Turk, Loehlien, Mueller, Czerny, and
Hummel) EXPLICITLY recommended equal temperament: they just as clearly
mentioned the existence of, and rejected, MT and Kirnberger II.

Is is usually the pattern, that it is the mathematicians, the theorists,
the gentleman natural scientists, and the like, who are fascinated by
the mental problem of temperament that explored all the sublted
subtle, that is, temperaments.

cheers,

tom mcgeary>
> One pattern that really sticks out for me is that the vast
> majority of writers on temperament who were not recognized
> performers talked of just and equal temperaments, while almost
> all accomplished performers talked of tunings that sounded
> close to Werckmeister III or d'Alembert/Rousseau.
>
> --
> John Sankey bf250@freenet.carleton.ca
> Music is Beauty, Beauty is Truth, Truth is Freedom
>