Harpsichord tuning: Well-Tempered Clavier - Bradley Lehman

Have you also guessed explanations of why the two "t" are autographically different, or the significance of the form of "D" with squiggles and two dots that make it look like a face, and "W"?

Did you read John Charles Francis' 2005 thesis "Das Wohltemperirte Clavier
Pitch, Tuning and Temperament Design" where he attributes to the decorative curve an indication of temperament?

What about the sqiggle underneath "per" which is missing from your drawing?

I answered all these on my web site (and in my original papers before that) in 2005 and 2006; see larips com

I have read the authoritative Early Music articles.
Quite a lot of researchers will go to great lengths to prove a theory. In this case, one can hardly disprove your speculation.
Bach did not leave us letters concerning his ideas about tuning. Or recordings.

But was Bach so original.
What about the John Bull Ut Re Mi Fa Sol La of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (page 183 of the Dover Edition)?

What's the point of applying your theory to an A=440 Hz keyboard?

What about that marvelous Bull fantasia? I've been playing it for 25 years, most recently in a concert on the Goshen organ (playing it on the viola da gamba 8, making it sound like viol-consort music). I also discussed that piece quite a bit on TUNING-L, with regard to its enharmonic swaps and the way it drops a comma.

On your question about an A=440 keyboard, the pitch level is irrelevant: the temperament's shape is exactly the same, irrespective of anything in Hz. And, this video is at 440!

Euh
- How much is a "nudge"?
- Is a nudge higher or lower?

About 1/12th of a comma, and the direction depends which note you're working on. The nudge is in the direction that makes the 5th smaller than pure.

Honorable Herr HochProfessor Lehman,

Regardless -- the squiggle story may be entertaining but -- your tuning is logical and is a better, more moderate, mousetrap. I love it. I had tried various compromises and yours is very usable.
Frankly I do it using my Korg OT-12 - set all white keys and Eb to Vallotti, but not B, then do the remaining +2, -2 and +4s. I haven't had a chance to make one yet, so a recipe for A=440 using the Korg's other presets for the non-Vallotti notes would be welcome.

"I iz sitting on your harpzikords listening to your Bachs"

But seriously, if you're supposed to turn the diagram upside down, shouldn't the "C" in the drawing come out right side up? Is there an explanation for the right 5 loops (viewing the squiggle right-side up as it is is in the document) having 3 turns and the left three having 2? A more honest interpretation would be that each 5th gets between 1 and 3 "nudges".

Perhaps the drawing at the bottom of the page is a lost cantata?

Ah-h-h-h Bach. Brad, you rock! Double!

AMAZING!