Well-tempered CD review

Greetings,
John writes: inre "Beethoven in the Temperaments"
(Gasparo GSCD-332). I thought it might be appropriate to post some
impressions.

>>The CD is very professionally made, with a fat booklet (36 pages!) which
explains the historical perspective to what Ed has done. It's true,
unfortunately, that no actual numbers for the tunings used are part of
this booklet<<

I hadn't thought that the Kirnberger or Young would need much
explanation, but our next one has charts and pictures for the temperaments
used. It is hard to know just how much info can be digested, and things did
run a little long on the historical explanation.

>>Included are: Sonata, Op. 13 ("Pathetique"), Op. 14 No. 1, Op. 27 No. 2
("Moonlight"), and Op. 53 ("Waldstein"). All are ably played by Enid
Katahn on a great sounding and competently recorded Steinway D grand
piano (serial number 467858 - how's THAT for specific info?).<<

>> If Ed, and others who are working along similar lines, are having
trouble (and I suspect they are) selling the idea of using tunings such
as these in concerts around the globe, it may be because the effects are
fairly subtle. <<

There is resistance,yes. However, it seems to come exclusively from
those musicians that haven't played a well tempered piano. That ET is such a
poor representation of a tonal palette used by the classical masters is a
rather alarming concept to musicians, musicologists, and "educators" who have
"positions". To accept it is to admit that they have missed the boat on a
big component of their art. This is why I try to let the sounds do the heavy
lifting before launching into the sales job. It is easy to slam the doors by
telling a pianist that they have been doing it all wrong for their whole
life!
The jazz crowd, OTOH, has been digging into the WT sounds with a
vigor,around here.
As far as the sublety, there are varied impressions. These range from "I
can't hear any difference" to "Wow, this makes for entirely new music".
One effect of the well tempering only shows itself after some familiarity,
and that is the realization of what ET piano really sounds like. A common
response is that after several listenings to Beethoven on a well tempered
piano, hearing his music in ET is a drab, tedious experience. Thus the
warning label on the CD package. I hope to bring this perspective shift into
closer, more immediate focus on our next project by having the same short
Mozart piece in three tunings, one after the other. ET will be the last, and
hopefully, will show itself to be as lacking in color as I hear it. Who
knows, it is possible that there will be a lot of people that think ET sounds
best, (but I am betting against it!).

>>I will definitely pull this CD off the shelf whenever I want to hear
these works done on an acoustic piano. Congratulations, Ed!!>>

Thanks for the postive comments, John, I hope you want to hear a lot of
acoustic piano in the future..
Regards,
Ed Foote
Nashville, Tn.

[Ed Foote wrote:]
>I hadn't thought that the Kirnberger or Young would need much
>explanation, but our next one has charts and pictures for the
>temperaments used. It is hard to know just how much info can be
>digested, and things did run a little long on the historical
>explanation.

Kirnberger? The notes say that "Prinz" is used for the first two
sonatas, and Young for the second two. Is Prinz essentially the same
as Kirnberger?

>There is resistance,yes. However, it seems to come exclusively from
>those musicians that haven't played a well tempered piano. That ET is
>such a poor representation of a tonal palette used by the classical
>masters is a rather alarming concept to musicians, musicologists, and
>"educators" who have "positions". To accept it is to admit that they
>have missed the boat on a big component of their art. This is why I
>try to let the sounds do the heavy lifting before launching into the
>sales job. It is easy to slam the doors by telling a pianist that they
>have been doing it all wrong for their whole life!

That makes sense. In the case of Young, at least, Kyle Gann makes the
comment that the difference between it and 12-tET is most apparent to
the performer. Do you agree?

>The jazz crowd, OTOH, has been digging into the WT sounds with a vigor,
>around here. As far as the sublety, there are varied impressions.
>These range from "I can't hear any difference" to "Wow, this makes for
>entirely new music".

>One effect of the well tempering only shows itself after some
>familiarity, and that is the realization of what ET piano really sounds
>like. A common response is that after several listenings to Beethoven
>on a well tempered piano, hearing his music in ET is a drab, tedious
>experience. Thus the warning label on the CD package.

I meant to mention that: "WARNING: this CD contains pure intervals which
may be habit forming!" ;->

>I hope to bring this perspective shift into closer, more immediate
>focus on our next project by having the same short Mozart piece in
>three tunings, one after the other. ET will be the last, and
>hopefully, will show itself to be as lacking in color as I hear it.
>Who knows, it is possible that there will be a lot of people that think
>ET sounds best, (but I am betting against it!).

I like the fact that you're including three versions for comparison. Of
course, there will also be subtle differences in the three performances,
difficult or impossible to control in the organic/acoustic world.

>>I will definitely pull this CD off the shelf whenever I want to hear
>>these works done on an acoustic piano. Congratulations, Ed!!

>Thanks for the postive comments, John, I hope you want to hear a lot
>of acoustic piano in the future..

Oh, I LOVE acoustic grand pianos, no doubt! As a college student, a
non-music major, I used the piano practice rooms for study and
improvisation, and would usually get stuck with a horrible upright piano
("Knight"?). But if the rooms weren't in heavy use and I could persuade
the keeper at the desk, I could occasionally get into a room with a
grand piano. Oh, what a difference! I found the grand, beyond all
else, evocative in some deep way, that nothing I have touched before or
since has matched.

That said, my own preferences are highly adaptive by now, and that's
unlikely to change, I fear. Tell me, Ed: what are your thoughts on
the possibility of making a grand piano real-time adaptive, given
unlimited resources? I realize there are serious problems, beyond the
mechanics of turning the tuning pin: the string would have to slip over
the bridge and the other terminating rail (I've forgotten its proper
name) very quickly, and without wearing itself to death in a few hours.

(I have no funds for such a project, but have vowed that, if I ever am
able, I will investigate the possibility as far as it can be taken).

Keep those CD's coming!

JdL