Re: the well-tempered clavier

[Jeff Dods <jdods@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>]

> 
> 
>      You will certainly get a lot of responses on this; it's a 
>      favorite subject for many.  WTC 1 was written (a) to 
>      demonstrate the modulatory advantages of equal temperament 

There was a lot of discussion about this on the harpsichord list a few
months back. Let me give you my watered down version.
My impression is that no scholors believe anymore that "well temperament" 
was equal temperament.  Yes, it was probably a "modern" temperment in the 
18 century, i.e. more modern that any kind of mean-tone, but in no way 
mistakable with equal temperament.

I *know* there are others on the list who could speak volumes on this topic,
and quote 18th century German...

Jeff.
jdods@chem.utoronto.ca