Re: [tuning] Re: Werckmeister Schnitger Buxtehude organ temperament etc, Lueb...

In a message dated 4/9/03 11:20:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
ibo.ortgies@musik.gu.se writes:

> Unfortunately I can't help disagreeing in several of your points,
> because the source situation is different but clear, or the
> evidence points into other direction.
>
>

Hi again, Ibo. Thanks for all that data. We do have some different sources.
As you said, you don't need to bring Werckmeister into your dissertation. I
would hate to upset your track to graduation. ;)

However, there are other sources. Have you checked Werckmeister's own report
of 1705 about the Groningen temperament change? It has just been published
in English.

Werckmeister doesn't mention other people enough (everyone he does mention is
listed in Walther's Lexicon). The organ builder Wender of Muhlhausen
preferred to use Werckmeister's tuning. Ahle, Bach's predecessor in
Muhlhausen, was indeed freinds with W. (including things about W. in his
prose and voluminous writings). It would appear that Bach walked into an
already tuned Werckmeister organ in both Arnstadt and Muhlhausen. No less
than Kuhnau spoke of Wender's insistence on Werckmeister tuning.

About winds and strings, we have just completed performances of Bach's
Brandenburg Concerto #2 in Werckmeister III in a beautiful intonation. There
is no difficulty retuning -- at least to us moderns. The string merely
follow the harpsichord. The winds today use scotch tape to alter the
positioning of the keys and the shape of the tone holes.

You work in abstract confirms the use of quarter-comma meantone in Holland.
But it does not mitigate against the influence Werckmeister had on other
creative types in an earlier generation. Take a close look at Walther's
Lexicon for all the usage of Werckmeister. He's all over the place. And
take a listen to Armin Shoof's performances of Buxtehude on Lubeck's St.
Jacobi Kirche.

I will look into the St. Jacobi/Hamburg info again...it was something in
Walther, but I don't remember where.

Ibo: Btw, watch out: the authors in the regions concerned, from
Werckmeister onwards (may be before already?) do not mix up
well-temperaments and ET! The are clear and well aware about this
point!

I do agree with this. If fact, this is the root of Werckmeister's
Paradoxical Discourse: scales equally useable, but not identical.

best, Johnny Reinhard