Pachelbel's Canon in 3 tunings: Just intonation, Meantone and 12-equal

[elgaed69]

equal temperament is the worst thing ever to happen to music.

[fleebness]

@elgaed69 Yeah, I'm of two minds about equal temperament. On the positive side, it has made it possible to write music for keyboards that changes to various keys quite easily without a tremendous amount of fuss.  On the other hand, it has deprived generations of people of the opportunity to hear the beauty of pure intervals. In a way, showing people these nicer temperaments is like revealing that your ears have been raped for centuries.

[BustTheNotes]

@fleebness i dunno, I get your point absolutely but I think that's a bit of an extreme :P. Equal temperament allows music to be whatever it wants to be with the full realization of a tonality that folds back into itself, and is thus equal on both sides (unlike just temperament, where music is VERY uneven on each side). There are tonal qualities of just temperament, but compositions in just temperament could never accomplish pieces from the 1700's(ish) on. It's more limiting than anything.

[fleebness]

@BustTheNotes Hehheh... well, sometimes, it's fun to think of an extreme way to describe your point, just to add a little levity to the mix. I wonder, sometimes, with the advances we have made in digital instruments, etc. if we could perhaps create instruments that allowed you to specify the key in which to tune the instrument to a particular just/mean temperament, so as to allow for purer tones while having the flexibility of equal temperament.

[BustTheNotes]

@fleebness Yea definitely great point. I wonder how hard that would actually be... you should check out the fluid piano! I'm wondering if a similar system could be used for exactly what you're describing.

[Sandiegoanons]

@fleebness With meantone temperament you could convey a subtlity of emotion in a piece depending on what key you chose. This is why different keys are meant for different types of music.With equal temperament it's like taking the "color" out of the music. Nowadays, equal temperament is completely obsolete in every way because we have electronics that can adjust to any key of any temperament we can choose from, yet we decide to stay in the stone age and it's never even talked about.

[BustTheNotes]

@elgaed69 My previous comment probably should have been directed to this. I'm wondering if you could elaborate your point?

[ccoraxfan]

I don't think the last version is in equal temperament, even though it claims to be. It doesn't sound right. Especially in the last few lines, where equal temperament should always have the same sound, some of the intervals are wide, like meantone or some sort of "well" temperament. Also it sounds way too sweet for equal temperament.

[padaneis]

@ccoraxfan It is probably due to the combination of unison and mutation stops: each one of the three canon lines is based on "Montre 8"; moreover, 1st voice has Nazard 2 2/3, 2nd has Tierce 1 & 3/5 and 3rd Larigot 1 & 1/3. The mutation stops are in just ratios with the unison stop: this could cause the impression that tuning is not equal. Bests!

[skinnyriz]

thanks for posting this. nice to have a direct comparison between these temperaments. after 2 listens, I think i favor the last one (ET) but the second one (Meantone) is also nice. (I'm listening on computer speakers so my opinion might be different on some better speakers)

[padaneis]

@skinnyriz Many thanks for your kind comment. For this piece, I prefer just intonation, instead. It should be noted that 8 notes only are used, diatonic D scale + C. Repeated listening can make you change mind. Also, depending on the kind of music you are acccustumed to listen to, you can find a particular tuning to be natural: 12tet for piano, just intonation for cappella choir, meantone for renaissance and early baroque music, and so on. I plan to propose more examples. Bests.

[Nikolausius]

@padaneis

Thank you for your posting!

The choice of tuning is of course a choice of taste, yet I am conmpletely with you concerning your preference for just intonation in this piece (I mean, just intonation gives the parallel thirds a completely new touch).

P.S.: You don't happen to have the time and possibility of posting the Gigue, or do you?

[padaneis]

@Nikolausius Many thanks for your appreciation! As to the Gigue...yes, why not? ...not overnight, I'm afraid, but I have put it in my agenda :-)

[padaneis]

@Nikolausius ...and I have to decide the tunings of G#, A#, D# which are not used in the Canon :-) Best wishes.

[padaneis]

@Nikolausius - I have posted a new version of Canon and Gigue in four different tunings. Please check this video's annotations. Enjoy!