RE: [tuning] Re: Reply to John deLaubenfels

John deLaubenfels wrote,

>Even Mozart was known to go 'round the circle of fifths every now and
>then just for fun, wasn't he?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think he went all the way
around. What you may be thinking of is his frequent use of a chord
progression that moves clockwise along the circle, instead of the usual
counterclockwise.

Paul Erlich wrote:

> John deLaubenfels wrote,
>
> >Even Mozart was known to go 'round the circle of fifths every now and
> >then just for fun, wasn't he?
>
> Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think he went all the way
> around. What you may be thinking of is his frequent use of a chord
> progression that moves clockwise along the circle, instead of the usual
> counterclockwise.
>

Paul Erlich is right. Mozart is very conservative in terms of the variety
of tonalities through which he passes (it's his treatment of vertical
dissonances and asymmetrical phrasing that are radical). In the Viennese
classical repertoire, it is only with late Haydn and Beethoven that a
circular temperament becomes advantageous.

On Tue, 23 May 2000, Daniel Wolf wrote, to John deLaubenfels'

> > >Even Mozart was known to go 'round the circle of fifths every now and
> > >then just for fun, wasn't he?

>
> Paul Erlich is right. Mozart is very conservative in terms of the variety
> of tonalities through which he passes (it's his treatment of vertical
> dissonances and asymmetrical phrasing that are radical).

Correct -- in fact there is an underground heresy in the early music
mobvement (one I in fact believe) to the the effect that Mozart actually
sounds quite good in meantone tuning. It's at least a good thing to know
that if you are giving a mixed program and don't have time to retune in
the middle you can play 16th and 17th century music PLUS Mozart on the
same keyboard, with maybe readjusting the g#'s, but if you want to play
the same early stuff with Bach or Telemann or Haydn you might be in
trouble.

Judy