AW.: 'augmented 6th' chords and their septimal cousins

In einer Nachricht vom 1/26/00 10:36:57 AM (MEZ) Mitteleurop�ische Zeit
schreibt monz@juno.com:

<< This is very close to the 7/4 [= 968.83 cents], and this,
coupled with the 4:5:6 proportion of the other three notes,
gives it a strong resemblance to 4:5:6:7.

But analyzed as extended reference, the 45/32 is actually
the 4:5 'major 3rd' above 9/8.
>>

212:128 is indeed very close to 7:4 but this was not an interval available in
meantone. In meantone, the extended reference will be weakened considerably
by the considerably flattened fifths, so that the interval Ab-F# is actually
smaller than a 7:4, crossing a kind of perceptual threshold.

In "French" augmented sixth chords, one does enjoy the ambiguous relationship
of the two major thirds to one another; I don't know how this ambiguity could
be maintained in a just environment.

Incidentally, I would be somewhat wary about the spelling rules found in the
_Harvard_ definitions. There are plenty of "German" augmented sixth chords
spelled as augmented sixths and "Italian" chords spelled as minor sevenths to
be found in real repertoire.