Poor Bach

Wow...no living human being knows just what tuning, or more likely tunings, that Bach used...or Beethoven, Mozart, or many other of the great composers from those eras. So, it's becoming ever more disappointing to watch rather intelligent folks on this forum STILL duking it out over this way tired subject. I don't mind lively discussions, no problem...but, sorry to say, this kind of stuff is exactly why I rarely refer folks here...and if I do, I always warn them of the possible nonsense which occurs here. NOBODY KNOWS...end of story...and I doubt that Bach was as worked up over his own tunings as some of the folks here get; he was a musician, who did what he heeded to get his work done...and if he didn't experiment with many tunings in his life, including equal temperament, I'd be mighty surprised...but, I don't know...neither do you. One more esteemed opinion, from the Aug 1992 issue of Kboard mag...Wendy Carlos says, when discussing the tunings she used for "Switched On Bach 2000..."So I backed off and headed back toward 1/5 comma meantone, which is close to what he would have used." And 12 note meantone, eq temp, and circular tunings are all very close indeed anyway...the music is what's important, not the decimal points...best...Hstick

Thanks Neil and Tom for these comments.

-Carl

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, <microstick@...> wrote:
>
> Wow...no living human being knows just what tuning, or more
> likely tunings, that Bach used...or Beethoven, Mozart, or many
> other of the great composers from those eras. So, it's becoming
> ever more disappointing to watch rather intelligent folks on
> this forum STILL duking it out over this way tired subject.
> I don't mind lively discussions, no problem...but, sorry to say,
> this kind of stuff is exactly why I rarely refer folks here...
> and if I do, I always warn them of the possible nonsense which
> occurs here. NOBODY KNOWS...end of story...

Neil: Wow...no living human being knows just what tuning, or more likely
tunings, that Bach used...or Beethoven, Mozart, or many other of the great
composers from those eras.

Johnny: That's why we work so hard to deliver the highest quality
performances in a concert laboratory. The de facto condition is almost 100% equal
temperament for Bach, which he did not do. There is quite a consensus now that
Bach did not do ET. And yet we are stuck with only Bach, Beethoven and
Mozart. This is a sad reality. Any, I repeat, any unequal well temperament would
do better than ET. No?

Neil: So, it's becoming ever more disappointing to watch rather intelligent
folks on this forum STILL duking it out over this way tired subject. I don't
mind lively discussions, no problem...but, sorry to say, this kind of stuff
is exactly why I rarely refer folks here...and if I do, I always warn them of
the possible nonsense which occurs here. NOBODY KNOWS...end of story...and I
doubt that Bach was as worked up over his own tunings as some of the folks
here get; he was a musician, who did what he heeded to get his work done...and
if he didn't experiment with many tunings in his life, including equal
temperament, I'd be mighty surprised...

Johnny: Bull#$%@ as Joe Biden says. I spent my lifetime trying to find out,
and continue to do so. When my book is released I will give a full
rationale for conclusions. Truth is, Neil, you don't know. Raising Wendy's old
views about meantone ignore the material that proves that a meantone compass
cannot include the majority of Bach's works. Sorry, if strong convictions are
contrary to your modis operandi. Sorry I can't simply just agree with everyone
on the List. But I am honestly presenting an informed point of view.

Neil: but, I don't know...neither do you. One more esteemed opinion, from
the Aug 1992 issue of Kboard mag...Wendy Carlos says, when discussing the
tunings she used for "Switched On Bach 2000..."So I backed off and headed back
toward 1/5 comma meantone, which is close to what he would have used." And 12
note meantone, eq temp, and circular tunings are all very close indeed
anyway...the music is what's important, not the decimal points...best...Hstick

Johnny: You are a generalist. For me it is the long trail following a
masters thesis. It is painful to hear Mozart in ET when it is so expressive, with
deeper dimensions of meaning provided by ANY unequal temperament. Brad has
capitalized on this phenomenon. Only his is a modern device. I have
invented nothing. Neil, please keep your students safe.

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microstick@... wrote:
> > > Wow...no living human being knows just what tuning, or more likely > tunings, that Bach used...or Beethoven, Mozart, or many other of the > great composers from those eras. So, it's becoming ever more > disappointing to watch rather intelligent folks on this forum STILL > duking it out over this way tired subject. I don't mind lively > discussions, no problem...but, sorry to say, this kind of stuff is > exactly why I rarely refer folks here...and if I do, I always warn them > of the possible nonsense which occurs here. NOBODY KNOWS...end of > story...and I doubt that Bach was as worked up over his own tunings as > some of the folks here get; he was a musician, who did what he heeded to > get his work done...and if he didn't experiment with many tunings in his > life, including equal temperament, I'd be mighty surprised...but, I > don't know...neither do you. One more esteemed opinion, from the Aug > 1992 issue of Kboard mag...Wendy Carlos says, when discussing the > tunings she used for "Switched On Bach 2000..."So I backed off and > headed back toward 1/5 comma meantone, which is close to what he would > have used." And 12 note meantone, eq temp, and circular tunings are all > very close indeed anyway...the music is what's important, not the > decimal points...best...Hstick

Well ... nobody may *know*, but there is one person with a rather strong opinion :)

http://www.larips.com/

>