Sweelinck's Fantasia Chromatica in mean-tone tuning

Three performances of the same piece in differing temperaments. This is mean-tone. For a discussion about temperaments see http://msteer.co.uk/edu/3temperament.htm

Recently Jürgen Weyers has sent me a helpful explanation of some of the difficulties surrounding 18thC german temperament, including the convention of Kammer Ton & Chor Ton.

"In 18th century Germany didn'nt exist in the same way as today. There where many independent principalities. Each prince had his own musical preference. So you can distinguish many different styles of organs at this time in "Germany". In southern Germany (Bavaria) they had organs nearly without any reeds, but many 8'stops. The use of meantone temperament persisted until the 19thC. The pitch was high, about A= 465 Hz: organ of the Basilika Weingarten http://www.orgelbau.ch/site/index.cfm... and of the monastery in Ochsenhausen http://www.orgelbau.ch/site/index.cfm...

"In southwestern Germany they were strongly influenced by the french tradition, even the design and construction was french, [tho] often the "Postif" was not "Positf de Dos" but in the bottem of the organ "Unterwerk", often played from the side, not from the front, see Meisenheim am Glan, pitch 465Hz, temperament remained modified meantone till 1740, thereafter equal temperament. http://www.kirchenmusik-rheinland.de/...

"In eastern Germany (Thüringia, but not in Saxony) they were very progressive. No Rückpositv already about 1680, also equal temperament. Many 8'-stops, 32'-stops in small organs etc. Also they distinguished Kammerthon: the low pitch for concert rooms (Bach, Brandenburgische Konzerte...) about 415 Hz, not many organs have been tuned in the Kammerthon, as the higher "Chorthon" about 465 Hz which was used for the singers. Some organs in 415 Hz hat one stop (Musiziergedackt) in the higher Chorthon. However every town had its own pitch 455Hz, 460 ... 468...471... Waltershausen: http://www.orgelbau-waltershausen.de/... Lahm im Itzgrund: http://www.herbstorgel.de/disposition/

"Silbermann and other organ builders in Saxony were conservative. Probably Silbermann used a near-meantone temperament, tho nowadays these instruments are euqal tempered: Freiberg http://www.freiberger-dom.de/konzerte...

"In northern Germany you had normally only the Chorthon. pa. Schnitger's organs are usually in about 465 Hz. It seems that Buxtehude changed the temperament of his organs c.1690 into the near-equal temperament of Werkmeister, which existed in some organs before it was described in 1691. Norden (modified meantone) http://www.norden-ludgeri.de/go/ludge... Weener (well temp.) http://www.orgel-owl.de/as/as_ween.htm"