Ross W. Duffin presents an engaging and elegantly reasoned expose of musical temperament and its impact on the way in which we experience music. An historical narrative, a music theory lesson, and, above all, an impassioned letter to musicians and listeners everywhere, "How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony" possesses the power to redefine the very nature of our interactions with music.For nearly a century, equal temperament - the practice of dividing an octave into twelve equally proportioned half-steps - has held a virtual monopoly on the way in which instruments are tuned and played. Duffin explains how we came to rely exclusively on equal temperament and along the way, he challenges the widely held belief that equal temperament is a perfect, 'naturally selected' musical system, and proposes a radical re-evaluation of how we play and hear music.

Reviews

Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and the ensuing mass production of musical instruments, equal temperament-the practice of dividing an octave into 12 equally proportioned half-steps-has dominated the way instruments are tuned and played in Western cultures. Noted early music scholar Duffin (Fynette H. Kulas Professor of Music, Case Western Reserve Univ.; Shakespeare's Songbook) presents a meticulously detailed treatise on equal temperament and its impact on how we experience music as performers and listeners. He explores the origins of temperament, nonkeyboard tuning, acoustics, pure intervals, and leading tones. There are also profiles of influential philosophers, musicians, and physicists, including Pythagoras, Robert Smith, Leopold Mozart, Joseph Joachim, Pablo de Sarasate, Sir Donald Francis Tovey, and Pablo Casals, while Duffin proposes a radical reevaluation of how we play and hear music. Written for musicians with a strong interest in music theory and acoustics, this highly theoretical book is a challenging read. An accompanying CD with musical examples would have been very helpful. Recommended for large public and academic collections that specialize in music.-Elizabeth M. Wavle, Elmira Coll., NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

"[Duffin's] fine book should make any contemporary musician think differently about tuning." Steven Poole, The Guardian "[A] handy little book..." Stephen Pettitt, The Sunday Times "...explains the theory and gives an informative and readable historical account..." The Times Higher Education Supplement "...Duffin argues his case with great verve and charm." Michael Downes, The Times Literary Supplement"