source file: mills3.txt Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 03:02:41 +0100 Subject: of Bach and Temperament From: Carl Lumma >Has anyone recorded WTC 1 or 2 in well-temperament? There are quite a few harpsichords tuned to equal temperament, but the vast majority are not. I actually have the WTC's on piano, and despite the equal temperament, I find it really a much more satisfying performance, as pianos are sooo good :~) So I am sure it has been many times, and you can probably find at least one version on CD at your average Tower Records. >What does a well-tempered harpsicord sound like? Better listen for yourself. I've heard bits of harpsichord performances of the WTC's, but they were either too long ago, not under favorable listening conditions, or both for me to determine the tuning. Thing is, harpsichords aren't the most lush sounding things in the world (although they do what they do VERY well). If you really want to hear some Xentuned WTC, I can recommend Switched-On Bach 2000 (Telarc). It features Prelude and Fugue numbers 7 and 2 from WTC 1 in excellent meantone and well temperament, respectively. They sound great. There is the question of what "well temperament" means. I have most often seen it used to mean "circular temperament", and that is how Wendy Carlos used it regarding S-OB 2000. Circular temperament, as I understand it, is any temperament where the sharps and flats are the same inside 12 fifths -> Werckmeister, Kirnberger, Young, etc. But there's no need to go to contortions. By calling his work the "Well Tempered Clavier", I believe Bach simply meant it was for any where your ear (the most important one!) could stand all the keys. There is a belief that Bach had his own particular temperament that he used. Well, I don't doubt it, except when he used an instrument that he didn't tune (like his favorite pipe organs) himself (as Neil points out). Naturally, there is a great interest in finding out what this tuning was, despite the fact that there is not enough info available that anybody could ever tell for sure. It has been suggested that it was Kirnberger 3 (as Kirnberger was one of Bach's students) having the fifths C-G-D-A-E each narrow by 1/4 a pythagorean comma. One H.A. Kellner proposed a temperament where these fifths were narrow by 1/5 a pythagorean comma instead. Jonny Reinhard is reported to be an expert on this subject. There is a short baroque-style ditty in Kirnberger (not 3) on my website at... http://users.nni.com/source_of_goodenss/ericarl.html ..called "Clavichordius Terrificus". It isn't very dramatic, but you can hear the difference between it's equal-tempered midi version, which hardly offers the Just dominant and tonic triads. Carl SMTPOriginator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu From: Daniel Wolf Subject: TUNING digest 1256 PostedDate: 03-12-97 23:02:47 SendTo: CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH ReplyTo: tuning@eartha.mills.edu $MessageStorage: 0 $UpdatedBy: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH,CN=Manuel op de Coul/OU=AT/O=EZH RouteServers: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=notesrv1/OU=Server/O=EZH RouteTimes: 03-12-97 23:00:59-03-12-97 23:01:00,03-12-97 23:00:53-03-12-97 23:00:54 DeliveredDate: 03-12-97 23:00:54 Categories: $Revisions: Received: from ns.ezh.nl ([137.174.112.59]) by notesrv2.ezh.nl (Lotus SMTP MTA SMTP v4.6 (462.2 9-3-1997)) with SMTP id C1256562.0078EF99; Wed, 3 Dec 1997 23:00:56 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA05469; Wed, 3 Dec 1997 23:02:47 +0100 Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 23:02:47 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA05468 Received: (qmail 29320 invoked from network); 3 Dec 1997 14:02:44 -0800 Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 3 Dec 1997 14:02:44 -0800 Message-Id: <199712031642_MC2-2A8E-FF9F@compuserve.com> Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu