A must read. Just say no to Valotti. http://music.cwru.edu/duffin/
dt At 03:56 PM 11/19/2007, you wrote: >In case someone doesn't know it, there's an enjoyable paper by Ross >Duffin online: > >"Why I hate Valotti (or is it Young?)": >http://music.cwru.edu/duffin/ > >Regards, > >Stephan > > >Am 19 Nov 2007 um 18:03 hat Stewart McCoy geschrieben: > > > Dear David, > > > > The temperament known as Valotti was presumably invented by the eponymous > > Valotti. > > > > If keyboards are tuned to Valotti, one should tune one's theorbo to 6th > > comma meantone, which will mean that all the white notes sound well > > together, but the black notes won't sound so good on the > keyboards. As long > > as you avoid dodgy enharmonics on the theorbo, the plucked strings will > > sound sweeter than the same notes played on the keyboards. > > > > Asking players to switch from A=415 to A=411 and back in the same > concert is > > plain daft. > > > > If you have to play chords of G# major and C# minor at A=448, is there any > > mileage in tuning your theorbo a semitone lower? It would mean > those chords > > would then be played as A major and D minor. If that creates more problems > > than it solves, forget it. > > > > One of the problems of tuning one's theorbo to a higher pitch than normal, > > is that there is an increased strain on the neck of the instrument. My > > theorbo is tuned at A=415, and is not designed to go up to A=440. However, > > if I need to play at A=440, I get round the problem by turning the 14th > > course (G) down to nothing, and the 12th course (B) down to G. That takes > > the strain off the neck, and enables the other strings to go up to A=440. > > The disadvantages are that I lose a low B, which is no great loss most of > > the time, and the low G is rather weedy played on the 12th course. > > > > Best wishes, > > > > Stewart McCoy. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "LGS-Europe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 11:41 AM > > Subject: [LUTE] tuning blues > > > > > > > Bad tuning karma weekend. Saturday Alexander's Feast by Handel. Baroque > > > orchestra at 415 Valotti. Who invented Valotti? Not a lute player I > > > presume. In the break we had to move to another part of the church, > > > unheated, to play a Handel organ concerto. At 411. After the > break back to > > > 415. Actually we managed to remain stable, but there was lots of > > > complaining in the orchestra. Understandably. > > > > > > Sunday, other church, other orchestra. Buxtehude, Hollanders and > > > Charpentier at 448. Baroque string players were struggling, > strings didn't > > > break, but were not stable. Organ in ET. Cello was way of in his sharps. > > > He just couldn't match it. Perhaps because of the high pitch, perhaps of > > > the ET. But some of the music was in C# minor (how does one > play G#-major > > > chords on a theorbo in A?), so there wasn't really another > option than ET > > > anyway. > > > > > > Next week Maria Vespers at 440. 1/4 comma MT, presumably. Should be fine > > > again. > > > > > > David > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
