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Subject:
From:
Brad Lehman <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Brad Lehman <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 24 Oct 2006 13:34:36 -0400
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"Fred in Toronto" asked:

 >>I have been hiding behind my ignorance for a bit on this thread - I 
 >>don't understand the usage of the term "comma" (I hope I am not alone 
 >>in this)
 >>
 >>I have found this all enlightening and instructive.  I have been 
 >>wondering however why there have been so many temperaments developed 
 >>over time.  This would explain why Bach sounds good on some organs 
and >>not on others.  Does anyone have an idea of the temperaments of 
his >>organs?  I know he played on a number of them and am wondering if 
this >>may have had an influence on his writing.


In that regard, the best book currently known to me is Johan Norrback's 
2002 book: _A Passable and Good Temperament. A New Methodology for 
Studying Tuning and Temperament in Organ Music_.  Info:
http://www.music.qub.ac.uk/tomita/bachbib/review/bb-review_Norrback-PGTemp.html

But, my own articles since 2004 have offered the inference of a somewhat 
different temperament style that I believe may have been Bach's own, and 
graphically notated by him.  Details:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/larips/outline.html
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/larips/art.html

At the very least, whether there is agreement with my hypotheses or not, 
the first several pages of my February 2005 portion will supply the 
necessary background to understand tuning "commas", etc.!

As for why Bach "sounds good on some organs and not on others", I 
believe it is tied mostly to the smooth handling of enharmonic swaps 
(such as Ab/G#, F/E#, etc) wherever they appear in the music.  Some 
temperaments do better at that than others.  That technical point is 
measured and explained in my May 2005 portion, and in the follow-up 
article there about clavichords....


Bradley Lehman

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