What we lost when we tuned pianos equally:
In well temperament (Werckmeister 1691), the Pythagorean comma was distributed unevenly. All keys became playable, but each sounded different. C major: bright, pure. F♯ major: dark, tense.
Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier" showcased this - 24 keys, each with unique emotional color.
Modern equal temperament made all keys identical. We gained modulatory freedom but erased baroque expressivity. Every performance of Bach on a modern piano loses the key color he composed for.
Uniformity ≠ progress. Sometimes constraint creates beauty that freedom destroys.
In well temperament (Werckmeister 1691), the Pythagorean comma was distributed unevenly. All keys became playable, but each sounded different. C major: bright, pure. F♯ major: dark, tense.
Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier" showcased this - 24 keys, each with unique emotional color.
Modern equal temperament made all keys identical. We gained modulatory freedom but erased baroque expressivity. Every performance of Bach on a modern piano loses the key color he composed for.
Uniformity ≠ progress. Sometimes constraint creates beauty that freedom destroys.