What I Hear

For the record, I hear an 81/64 as a ditone, and not as the major third of
5/4 tempered sharp. I love the melodic resources it provides. I am aware
that Rudolph Rasch does not like this interval, but it has not influenced me. I
am also aware that the 81/64 has a history of more than a thousand years
preceding the Renaissance.

When I play Bach's music in Werckmeister III, I hear things in the music
that others often do not hear, things that bring me great enjoyment. To many,
any unequal Bach is the same, since it is opposed to ET, which is the
predominant tuning used for Bach for a hundred years (at least).

When I hear the Ives Universe Symphony, I hear the intonation of extended
Pythagorean tuning, while some others hear morass.

When I hear the word meantone, it is a family of like temperaments. (Sorry
George, but 7-note Pythagorean is not a temperament and so, could not be
considered meantone.) If only quarter comma meantone was _the_ legitimate
meantone, there would be no need for a fraction preceding it.

best, Johnny

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Afmmjr@aol.com wrote:
> When I play Bach's music in Werckmeister III, I hear things in the > music that others often do not hear, things that bring me great > enjoyment. Presumptious, to say the least. I wonder how it is you know what others do or do not hear?

_Afmmjr@..._ (mailto:Afmmjr@...) wrote:
> When I play Bach's music in Werckmeister III, I hear things in the
> music that others often do not hear, things that bring me great
> enjoyment.
Presumptious, to say the least. I wonder how it is you know what others
do or do not hear?

Hi Aaron K.,

You mean you don't hear things in music you are intimately involved with
that others miss?

Besides, why did you decide to go negative on something that was intended
positively?

The answer to your question lies in sentiments that I have attached to the
specific sounds of a tuning. To the non-microtonalist, it sounds not-equal,
although it could be not-equal in a myriad of ways. I suppose anyone could
develop their own set of sentiments associated with Werckmeister III. Maybe
Bach, too.

best, Johnny

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Afmmjr@aol.com wrote:
> Afmmjr@... <mailto:Afmmjr@...> wrote:
> > When I play Bach's music in Werckmeister III, I hear things in the
> > music that others often do not hear, things that bring me great
> > enjoyment.
> Presumptious, to say the least. I wonder how it is you know what others
> do or do not hear?
>
> Hi Aaron K.,
> > You mean you don't hear things in music you are intimately involved > with that others miss?

I suppose I do, but I can only prove it by asking 'do you notice that?'. I guess I try not to assume what others, esp. musicians are sensitive to.

OTOH, you have a point....I usually think people who don't play with fire or sensitivity in a great piece are not hearing what I am.

> > Besides, why did you decide to go negative on something that was > intended positively?

Sorry....not intentional....I misread what you were saying I guess. Email is lousy that way.

> > The answer to your question lies in sentiments that I have attached to > the specific sounds of a tuning. To the non-microtonalist, it sounds > not-equal, although it could be not-equal in a myriad of ways. I > suppose anyone could develop their own set of sentiments associated > with Werckmeister III. Maybe Bach, too.
As I've shown here before in blind listening tests, an awful lot of well-temperaments sound an awful lot alike, more so than one would think. Ditto the sentiments that come attached as a by-product.

Best,
Aaron.

> The answer to your question lies in sentiments that I have attached to
> the specific sounds of a tuning. To the non-microtonalist, it sounds
> not-equal, although it could be not-equal in a myriad of ways. I
> suppose anyone could develop their own set of sentiments associated
> with Werckmeister III. Maybe Bach, too.
As I've shown here before in blind listening tests, an awful lot of
well-temperaments sound an awful lot alike, more so than one would
think. Ditto the sentiments that come attached as a by-product.

Best,
Aaron.
_________________________
Yes, this is true. But that is not what I am talking about. One can have a
special relationship with a pet rock. They should not be dismissed. They
are real feelings. I have attached a gestalt sentiment for a particular well
temperament. Being confused in a listening test is wonderful tomfoolery.
It would be different if you had changed the Chromatic Fantasy tuning into
something other than ET or WIII. This I would notice. Although I don't know if
many others would.

Johnny

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