Temperament: The Idea That Solved Music's Greatest Riddle. By Stuart Isacoff.

New York,
NY: Knopf, 2002.259 p. ISBN 0-375-40355-8 $33.00

"Temperament" is a concept upon which Ultimately, by about the mid-nineteenth

western tonality places much emphasis. century the concept of equal temperament
Temperaments are tunings of the scale emerged as dominant in the western world. It
adjusting the pitch of certain notes slightly for was not the invention of any one individual;
effect, but why is that necessary? Natural the Chinese had developed such a
tuning is based on how things vibrate, which is temperament in the distant past, but did not
followed in most cultures and can be heard in make use of it, preferring to tune up according
the vocalizations of many animals, but of to the natural environment. However, the
course a musician may wish to vary pitch for usefblness of equal temperament made it the
effect. Why would it become an obsessive obvious temperament-of-choicefor composers
concern of western civilization? interested in harmonic progressions and key
changes. All intervals are equidistant on the
The problem was (and is) that following piano keyboard, and instruments are
the natural overtone intervals did not create manufactured to be easiest to play with that
scales in which all intervals were equal. The tuning. Problem solved: it became possible to
differences were subtle, and only became a have consistent harmonic relationships in any
serious aesthetic problem when composers key.
began creating complex harmonic structures
and making entire key changes along with It may seem surprising that a book about
shifts in tonal center. Problems with harmonic the history of ideas concerning tuning and
relationships were immediately evident. Music temperament could be so much fim to read.
sounded different, using the same intervals, Nevertheless, Stuart Isacoff, a pianist,
depending on what note the composer started composer, lecturer, and writer onmusic whose
with, on a fixed-pitch instrument such as the work has been widely published, has managed
piano. Once tuned, it didn't change until re- to provide just such an account.
tuned by man or nature.
Isacoff begins by tracing theories about the
physical principles of sound, beginning with
This problem became music's greatest the ancients, including Pythagorean concepts.
riddle in the western world. Composers and He lucidly explains the development of ideas
theoreticians analyzed the situation and concerning the effects of music, tuning, and
attempted to come up with satisfactory the relationship of music to mathematics
solutions. Many tuning systems were utilized including applications to architectural
with varying success. Unfortunately, one of proportions. Finally, the gradual acceptance of
the tragedies of music education is that the the inevitability of equal temperament as the
repertoire of earlier eras of music history is logical solution is described.
seldom performed or taught using the
appropriate tunings. Isacoff sprinkles his sweeping history with
the kind of stories and details that makes his
subject come alive, and writes with admirable is performed, taught, or recorded, equal
clarity. He concisely summarizes the positions temperament has been used, but this trend has
and theories of the traditionalists and the happily been reversed.) Isacoff cites rather
innovators. The controversy spanned the than rehashes such intriguing works as Ernest
western world. Important thinkers like G. McClain's The Myth of Invariance (1976)
Newton, Kepler, and Descartes as well as which discusses mathematical implications of
musicians, craftsmen, church leaders, and musical meanings in the texts of the world's
heads of state entered the debate with religions.
passionate concern.
Concluding with his impressions of a
The big issue was: Is it wise to tamper recital by New York composer Michael
with temperament? After all, the natural tuning Harrison, Isacoff emphasizes Harrison had
relationships obey mathematical laws relevant studied with Pandit Pran Nath and performed
to the structure of the universe! The cast of La Monte Young's six-hour marathon solo
characters throughout history is broad and piano work, 'The Well-Tuned Piano," which
dazzling.Isacoff S comments on their roles and was composed using "just" intonation. (A five-
contributions are frequently witty and hour version of this composition appears in a
insightful. five-CD set on the Gramavision label.)
Harrison then went on to compose "From
Isacoff begins with a technical and Ancient Worlds" on his 24-notes-per-octave
philosophical discussion on the history and grand piano. Isacoff describes the effects of a
nature of the modern piano, as it has been recital using Hanison's "revelation tuning" on
designed and tuned since the mid-nineteenth this instrument. The select audience (Isacoff
century. He illustrates the principles involved notes the presence of Philip Glass and
with appropriate sketches throughout the describes his reactions) was apparently
book. The mechanics of the piano's impressed, leaving Isacoff with the personal
development and the need for practical tuning meditation, "Perhaps Pythagoras was right
systems are clearly explained. In the process, after all."
he summarizes the genesis and evolution ofthe
concepts that have dominated musical thought Since the implications of (let's face it) "un-
on tuning in the west for well over a century. natural" tuning are not widely understood,
despite relevant work in the neurophysiology
Isacoff also provides a brief discussion of of sound, it is likely the debate concerning
relevant contemporary experiments and temperament will continueindefinitely. Isacoff
theorizing. He correctly points out that the has supplied a well-grounded background for
debate concerning the relevance and effects of understanding the concepts involved.
different tunings continues among
contemporarycomposers and theorists as well Uadimir Simosb
as early music specialists investigating original EcWzardt-Gramattg Music Librarian
tunings. (Sadly, most often when early music The University of Manitoba