12-equal vs just tuning

I cannot see how it can logically be claimed that 12-equal is
all that's needed for a music which lives up to its potential.
To many of us, musical passages performed in 12-eqt sound very
different and have a very different psychological impact than
musical passages which, excepting for the tuning, are identical
but which are performed in just intonation. The just passages
have a sound and impact which to my knowledge, you just can't
get using 12-eqt. That being the case, 12-eqt is limited and
doesn't cover the whole of the possibilities for effect of which
harmony is capable.

But there are people who very much dislike the sound of music
in just intonation, and for those people, just intonation, even
thought it sounds different, doesn't have much to offer. But there
are others of us - over 25% at least - who contrariwise like the
sound of the just versions better, finding their emotional impact
to be more pleasing and intense. Should we be left out?

There will always be people who initially react strongly against
something which clashes with what they are used to hearing - the fact
that it sounds "different" becomes psychologically equivalent to
sounding "off" or "funny" or just "wrong" to them.

Dave Hill Borrego Springs, CA

In a message dated 10/24/02 6:13:59 AM Central Daylight Time,
ASCEND11@AOL.COM writes:

> There will always be people who initially react strongly against
> something which clashes with what they are used to hearing - the fact
> that it sounds "different" becomes psychologically equivalent to
> sounding "off" or "funny" or just "wrong" to them.
>
> Dave Hill

Excellent post!

Pauline