Chopin 24 Preludes in Unequal Temperament PART 1

Michele D'Ambrosio, friend of Adolfo Barabino, plays the 24 preludes in Unequal Temperament at Emerson College inspired by the tuning work of David Pinnegar at Hammerwood Park

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Chopin
• 24
• preludes
• piano
• unequal
• temperament
• Emerson
• College
• David
• Pinnegar

[tomalesbay]

It appears the piano has been tuned only once for all of the preludes (well, I've only watched/listened to a few, so far). Is that correct, though? It seems the tuning would prioritize some keys over others, C-Major, for example, but not F#-Major, etc. So I would be curious which preludes fit best (attentive listening could also be the guide, I suppose).

Regardless, it's a real treat to be able to hear these beautiful pieces played in just intonation. Thank you so much for posting.

[latribe]

@tomalesbay Hi! It's not a just tuning but one which has lots of just fifths and some sweet thirds. The idea is that the white keys are generally nice and pure and the less used more exotic more "remote" keys are more spicey and available for special effects . . . and this is what composers intended. This is a temperament on the spectrum of "good temperaments" as for which Bach was writing his 48 preludes for the well temperered Klavier

[romophonic82]

Which piano is being used?

[latribe]

@romophonic82 It's an 1895 Bechstein at Emerson College in Forest Row.

[acortot]

what temperament is it?

[latribe]

@acortot It's a temperament using lots of perfect fifths. I don't want to be specific until Adolfo Barabino has done a CD as he has the right to being the first . . . !

[romophonic82]

@latribe Thanks! It's a lovely sounding little thing!

[Cirapf]

il migliore!!!! *-*

[gerardbedecarter]

Beautiful playing - and sound!

[latribe]

@jpstenino Hi! Michele is brilliant and very modest and will be so delighted to know that you have enjoyed his performance. It would be great to get more people to live performances - he deserved more than the 20 who came to his summer UK recital . . .

Ross Duffin - yes - a seminal book. Brilliant. Equal Temperament is so pervasive and "stuck"in the psyche and the ears that a local equal tempered singing teacher won't come to our Hammerwood concerts as she says our piano is out of tune!