The difference between the two temperaments is remarkable, with the uneven being more consonant and restorative with less frequency "beats" between the intervals. I wish all music could be heard in the unequal, or what I would call the "natural" temperament, but it's simply not practical on the piano in the modern world with the frequent retunings that would be required when playing works in unrelated keys and the avoidance of certain keys with "wolf" tones,
Thanks so much for your observations, and Pat too. But actually this business about retunings is a common myth relating only to Meantone (see the Beethoven Tempest thread with an interesting recording there on the 1802 Stodart). Unequal temperaments were divided into two camps. Ones such as Pythagorean and Meantone which contained a "Wolf" fifth usually between Ab and Eb or sometimes I believe B to F# and others which were known as circulating temperaments in which all keys were equally playable.
Normally I tune to Kellner temperament as a suggested possibility for that for which Bach composed and here to Kirnberger III which also uses 7 perfect fifths but is stronger than Kellner. So this recording
in Kirnberger was such an experiment being one step stronger than the Bechstein recording above -
which uses Kellner. The secret of these temperaments is that the bass can be harmonically tuned so that many notes of the scale are tied to the 3rd and 4th harmonics of the lower strings, or the 6th and 8th. This results in no beats for many notes giving keys that are calmer, and against which other notes sing.
An example of this, and delightfully Chopin Nocturnes -
(This was a modern Grotien Steinweg)
I believe that there was in later Victorian times a convenience of robbing our music of such beauty. Keys such as F#, Db, Ab and B required great delicacy in playing, as we here from this pianist. Were some yob to come along and play chopsticks upon a piano so tuned on the prize family entertainment centre in the corner of the living room as was the Victorian status symbol, tuned like this the instrument would be ridiculed and the brand rubbished.
Instead it was convenient for an equal temperament to be adopted and drummed into the factories' tuners - evenly progressing thirds as we go up the scale . . . with the result that the instrument glistens in sound and shimmers . . . and then we say "What an amazing instrument - it must be a XXXXXX" (brand name). So we worshipped the brands as seen emblazoned on the sides of some instruments in concert halls. Yuck. So we were seduced into worshipping the instrument rather than its ability to convey the emotion.
This is why on 6th May 2019 friends are organising a seminar on restoring the emotion to music through temperament and tuning at Hammerwood Park, East Grinstead. Perhaps I'll start a thread about this. But many of these temperaments can be used universally for modern pianos without retuning at all, and significantly enhancing the tonal beauty of the modern instrument.
Sadly the performer here
does not have the finesse of my pianist friend, typical of the modern competition winner, but this is a very long concert length Kawai which before I tuned it was hideously sharp in tonality and has been significantly tamed by the tuning, which is suitable for the whole repertoire from Bach right through to the modern composers.
Here's the same piece played by a masterclass pupil of my friend
on the 1885 Bechstein.
https://jungleboffin.com/mp4/jong-gyung-park-unequal-temperament/ is complete concert one of my first tunings of the Bechstein to Kellner temperament and I've been most privileged by the toleration and friendship of many musicians willing to perform as a test of what then seemed a niche eccentricity. But that concert proved suitability of the unequal temperament soundscape even to the performance of 20th century repertoire. Even Prokofiev and Berg. Debussy particularly revels in the harmonically lush pastures that such tunings provide.
Candidates for all-purpose tunings in all keys include
7th Comma Serkin temperament
6th Comma Meantone - said to be favoured by Mozart although I think his music calls for stronger - might be known as Silbermann
Neidhardt 1724 (I haven't tried any of the above. Tunings take hours and repeated retunings for experiment on instruments aren't good for the tuning plank)
Vallotti - not strong enough spice for me. Uses 6 perfect 5ths.
Kellner which I favour. It's vital not to use stretching of octaves in the middle, tenor and treble three octaves, and tune harmonically below Tenor C. One can tweak Tenor C# a beat or two sharp so as to avoid the very wide C# to treble F being unpleasant.
Kirnberger III as we've experimented with in recordings above in this thread and in the Beethoven Tempest thread.
Both Kellner and Kirnberger use 7 perfect 5ths. And they cause perfect thirds in the home keys to be nearly pure or really pure, so providing multiple points of contact in resonance between the scale and the lower strings. This is part of the secret of long sustaining pedal passages marked by both Chopin and Beethoven, as the tuning removes the clashings.
I'd love to be tuning the Steinway in the Studio of Radio 3. I think the emotional draw of classical music would then start to snowball back an understanding and enthusiasm that's rightly placed.
Best wishes
David Pinnegar
