It's with great pleasure today that I discovered my work at Hammerwood Park in encouragement of unequal temperaments not to be an island. With an event at Southampton University in February, it's becoming mainstream.
ARTISTIC TEMPERAMENTS FESTIVAL
FRIDAY 17 – MONDAY 20 FEBRUARY - SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY
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| ARTISTIC TEMPERAMENTS FESTIVAL |
| Most of the piano music we love best, we've never heard as its composer heard it. Turner Sims, in association with the University of Southampton Music Department, presents a new four-day festival. Artistic Temperaments celebrates music performances on beautiful antique instruments. We showcase the Department's remarkable collection of keyboard instruments, from the 1770s to the present day. |
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https://www.turnersims.co.uk/news/artistic-temperaments-festival/ Organiser Prof David Owen Norris writes:
May I draw your attention to our Artistic Temperaments Festival in Turner Sims Feb 17-20 2023, where we will have our pianos and fortepianos tuned in a variety of temperaments: the Steinway in equal temperament, as a control, the Fazioli and the 1802 Schantz in Young's temperament, two Beyer squares and a Ganer in Lambert and Kirnberger III, and so on. Our two Broadwoods (1796 & 1826) and the 1812 Frecker and some meantone harpsichords will be available to inspect and try.
I do hope you might be able to come – and please tell your friends.
Beautiful Music: Beautiful Antique Pianofortes
- Showcasing our remarkable collection of keyboard instruments, from the 1770s to the present day
- Your favourite pieces as you've never heard them before – like cleaning an Old Master
- Reviving historical methods of tuning pianos – a cutting-edge development of global importance
- Brilliant performances from professionals and from our students
- Vintage performances by famous pianists of the past, 'live' on pianola
- A chance for YOU to play – book a session on a beautiful antique instrument
- Adopt an instrument!
Meanwhile, at Hammerwood Park in Sussex, we have
1905 Broadwood baby grand - tuned to modified Kirnberger III or Kellner
In tuning instruments I've discovered the importance especially with the 1802 and 1819 of tuning to give resonance and upon which the power of the instrument depends and it's for this reason that I label the temperaments above as "modified".
Very much looking forward to hearing recordings of the February event. Anyone going to the Southampton event to play might usefully visit one of the Hammerwood instruments as the tuning opens up techniques new to modern pianists, allowing Chopin and Beethoven pedalling to be restored, and for the instrument to sing and reach the sublime.
For anyone possibly toying with the idea of doing something like this in the USA or elsewhere I'm in touch with a handful of musicians who really can exploit what the unequal tunings can open up. Many musicians of what I refer to as "stodge" mentality can perform in what I call a perfunctory way and not notice any difference that anyone can hear at all . . . Tuning sorts out the sheep from the goats of musicians with those who are really musical being able to surpass the ordinary and create sheer magic.
It's all rather a new discipline and not at all fully explored yet, so providing fertile ground for all to find a new lease of musical life. That's potentially good news not only for the best of musicians but all who maintain and make the instruments . . .
Greetings and best wishes,
David P
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David Pinnegar BSc ARCS
Hammerwood Park, East Grinstead, Sussex, UK
+44 1342 850594
"High Definition" Tuning
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