Musicology, hither

Jon, thanks for your comments. I had written a point by point response, but lost it when my connection was lost.

Suffice to say that when Partch wrote about Bach it was as a demonic promoter of moder equal temperament. Partch was at the mercy of musicological scholarship, and so he was misled.

Since I have had the opportunity to research the backgrounds of the pertinent scholars to Bach, why not just accept that they are at most non-performing pianists. Check for yourself!

As for why me and not someone else, same was said about my bassoon playing, same was said about my finishing the Ives Universe Symphony, same could be said about other things, and even about other people.

My point with Bach is that the givens were not given by those with the info. Musicologists, a linear group (yes, I am generalizing, but based on the discipline dictates, which I have indeed studied) have historically treated him from the present backwards, and from an ever advancing present at that.

The true given is that Bach inherited a tuning that he would use throughout his life. He played the least flexible instrument as regards pitch, the organ, and could not change the status quo. If he had, then we would have heard about it. Instead, he walked into situations that favored Werckmeister temperament. Neidhardt is a pipedream, chronologically after the fact. If musicologists cared, there would have been greater treatment of Werckmeister. There would have been translations. Pretty sad performance, if you can call it that.

best, Johnny
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Johnny,

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Afmmjr@... wrote:
> I had written a point by point response, but lost it when my
connection was lost.

Well, thanks for all this anyway. I think I understand a bit better
where you are coming from. When I mentioned Partch, it was in the
broader connection of experience vs. research, and not pertaining to
just the Bach discussion. Nonetheless, we all tend to bump up against
other disciplines, sometimes gently, sometimes with a large thump.
Injuries may, on some occasions, be unavoidable! :)

Cheers,
Jon