H. W. Poole on Perfect Musical Intonation. 199 
Arr. XXIL—On Perfect Musical Intonation, and the funda- 
mental Laws of Music on which it depends ; with remarks show- 
ing the practicability of attaining this Perfect Intonation in the 
ts Organ ; by Henry Warp Poorer, Worcester, Massachusetts. 
(Concluded from page 83.)* 
28. Tue opinion has been very generally entertained among 
musicians, that there is a peculiar character belonging to each of 
e keys. We should not have considered this opinion worthy of 
notice in this connection, but for the reason that many have at- 
tributed this real, or supposed, peculiar character to temperament ; 
for if this peculiarity exists in nature, and is inherent in music 
: itself, it\will be especially manifest in a system, or on an instru- 
e. ment, of Perfect Intonation. If, however, temperament is the 
source of a variety which is so highly appreciated by some, it is 
certainly an argument in favor of temperament, and against Per- 
fect Intonation. 
2 e have before us a musical w 
from which we copy the characters, or “complexions,” of severa 
tt 
sunny. Ab, The most lovely of the tribe ; unassuming, gentle, 
pal delicate and tender, having none of the pertness of A in 
sha 
thority, “the common consent of musicians.” It is not so much 
our purpose to oppose this beautiful theory, as to show, that no ar- 
§ument can be drawn from it to sustain temperament. If tem- 
Perament be assigned as the cause why the key of A differs in 
character from the key of Ab, the difference must be found in the 
fact that one is tempered differently from the other. If tempera- 
* In our article in the last No. of the Journal, we gave a brief account, so far as 
We were informed, of all the attempts that have been made to attain Perfect Into- 
nation. Since the January No. was issued, our attention has been called, with no little 
i a recent No. of the Westminster Review, vol. 50, page 253, Am. ed., in 
j to an improvement in the organ, similar to ours, which 
i .P. Thompson. Of the details of Col. 
bee etly for fort years—the parties being so remote 
ing of what the ola was iingit the history of itty ge 
, it will illustrate this simple truth, that, in the course of 
Perfect Intonation has arrived. 
