Re: Ets harimon

[r l reid <ro...>]

Lev Koszegi wrote:

> In this case, "adapted" probably means Messrs. Gorchov and Orland changed
> the melody to fit into the Western 12-tone system of equal temperment,
> resulting in a melody that is close to, but not exactly, that of the Persian
> melody.

While not arguing your basic idea, you hit a button on me - while
western system of music DOES involve 12 notes in an octave, it 
is NOT hardwired to equal temperament.

The idea of equal temperament is only a few centuries old, and the
achievement of it is probably no earlier than 1910 or so.

The familiar western arrangement of tones is actually based on
Greek theories of low number ratios that result in a few different
sizes for the minor second. Over the years atempts to temper this 
scale haev lead to the absurd result of making all minor seconds
identical at the 12th root of 2.

This silly number is NOT essential to the composition or realization
of western music however, as any string quartet can prove.  

Roger "My Piano and my Tsimbl are Well Tempered, not Equally Tempered" Reid

-- 
r l reid        ro (at) rreid(dot)net

 "I am a Jew"
        - Daniel Pearl, z"l, just before he was murdered

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