RE: Journal of Psychology" Interval= PAU

Ed Foote wrote:

> I must ask the author if he is suggesting that "Classical" keyboard
>composers were using equal temperament?
>(Classical to me means from Bach to Chopin, so there may be some difference
>of labels here.)

No. Firstly, I consider Bach a Baroque composer, and secondly, I was not
referring to equal temperament in particular, but 12-note tunings which have
large major thirds and small minor thirds in general. These tunings came
into being as a result of convenience but carry with them a certain quality
that is not shared by other diatonic tunings, such as those with 19 notes.
My impression is that Mozart dealt with large major thirds and small minor
thirds from the beginning, and I believe that circumstance to have
influenced his compositional choices to a considerable extent. Same goes for
Chopin, a "Romantic" keyboard composer.


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