Mark Shepherd plays fugue of Bach Dorian Toccata D minor

This performance of teh Dorian Toccata Fugue on the organ at Hammerwood Park is in Meantone temperament. Mark says, quite rightly, "the temperament is as important as the voicing and scaling in communicating the meaning of that music". He rehearsed it in Kellner-Bach temperament, which is brilliant, but I dared him to perform in Meantone so that we could really hear the difference that temperament makes.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bach
• Dorian
• Toccata
• Minor

[ccoraxfan]

There are definitely a few "meantone-unfriendly" (wolf) notes in there! But the rest is beautiful.

[latribe]

:-) Yes! We are so attuned to inoffensive mediocrity that we find wolves hideous. But sometimes they can show off other areas in contrast and certainly Pacebel and Couperin moved in between "crisis points" of wolf discord very deliberately, making contrasts and making the music more interesting.

Is it that we are so unused to hearing them that we are simply shocked by the funny intervals, like a hot chilli in our soup. Certainly perhaps Kellner or Kirnbirger is "better" for Bach . . .

[ccoraxfan]

I'd rather hear almost anything rather than the blandness of equal temperament! And this is certainly "spicy"!

I've been getting very enjoyable results with Bach/Lehman temperament, which I used to tune my electronic organ. However I would like to experiment with meantone and other temperaments as well-- if I ever put together a MIDI console, this would be easy. The old analog electronic organ I have is not the easiest to retune!

Example of Bach/Lehman: watch?v=AN_Hf1UAeBY

[latribe]

@ccoraxfan :-) Glad you're enjoying spice! I have tried Lehman but with the greatest of respect consider it to be a misnomer to associate it with Bach. I believe it to be upside down, however enjoyable the variations it produces might be. The reason for this is that it peaks in the middle accidental keys whereas greatest musical sense is achieved in a progression from the "home" to the "remote" keys. Other interpretations of the Bach Squiggle achieve that. Kirnberger has historical precedent.