>> These days unequally tempered lutes, theorbos and guitars play >> with >> unequally tempered harpsichords and organs all the time. > > Of course. I enjoy hearing and wouldn't want to imply otherwise. They > still aren't quite in tune with each other, especially in remote keys.
Again, you seem to be mixing theory (it is impossible to tune a guitar or lute in an unequal temperament) with practice (we have to play together with Werckmeister harpsichords). I am talking about continuo playing. If the key is too remote for the keyboard, the keyboard will be adjusted (changing e-flats to d-sharps is an obvious one to do, but mollifying some thirds for bad sounding chords can be another). The character of remote keys in unequal temperaments is that they are less pure than nearer keys, that is what their remoteness is all about. In equal temperaments there are no remote keys, all keys are equal, some are just as equal as others. In near as well as remote keys in unequal temperaments, if there are notes I cannot play on my lute or guitar because they are out of tune with the keyboard, I don't play these notes. I kn ow, some chords become really thin. Common sense combined with critical listening will find solutions. I remember a recording of music by Marais. The harpsichord player had tuned his instrument to his personal flavour of something Werckmeister-like. On theorbo I could match most of the notes that mattered, the rest I didn't play or played elsewhere on the fingerboard (ideal instrument for weird temperaments, theorbo, there's always an alternative nearby) . On baroque guitar I had more problems, but managed to play something that worked anyway, less strumming than I wanted, perhaps. Playing fretted instruments together with keyboard instruments is all about finding practical solutions. Even if we all play in some form of mean tone temperament, still several positions are untouchable for us. Then, don't touch and problem solved. For some keyboard temperaments (all these players use their own system, useless to label these) I cannot match, I set up my fretting in something not too far removed but that makes the chords I play sound well within themselves (usually 1/6 comma meantone or simply equal temperament) so the lute / guitar sounds all right when played alone, and check with te keyboard what I have to avoid. Or, on a lute, often raising c and f strings, adjusting third fret, perhaps lowering second fret a tad and be carefull with certain thirds can be enough. In continuo playing you don't always play together anyway, so if it's 'my turn' I can play the thirds. Violins, windplayers and singers will adapt. It's not about being in tune for every note on the scale, it's about playing in tune together. Avoid wrong notes and find practical solutions. Solo playing is another story altogether. David - trying to live in the real world > > Best, > Eugene > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
