Klarinet Archive - Posting 000610.txt from 1999/03

From: Mark Gustavson <mgustav@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Pitch over the years
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 03:02:03 -0500

I've attended the rehearsals of many excellent string quartets and they spend a
huge amount of time working on tuning intervals to be pure. I wish woodwind
quintets could have such discipline.

MG

"Steven J Goldman, MD" wrote:

> Why the trepidation? You are absolutely correct. However it is what the
> instrumentalist perceives/thinks that he/she is doing (unless consciously
> tuning to a keyboard). And wind and sting players do not play anything like
> the equal tempered scale of today's keyboard when not playing with one. And
> as to historical tuning, certainly in the 18th century much ink was spilled
> imploring wind and string players to keep the intervals pure. And equal
> temperament was almost universally rejected, even by keyboard players of the
> time (Bach's temperament(s?), whatever it was, was not equal).
>
> Now we will never know how close these players came to their ideal, but it
> was probably much closer to it than modern players, whose ears have become
> accustomed to equal temperament, and they certainly thought that the better
> players achieved it.
>
> Steve

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