200 H. W. Poole on Perfect Musical Intonation. 
ment was adjusted in any uniform manner, through the different 
classes of instruments, and by different tuners, there would be a 
show of argument, in the fact, for temperament. But we find no 
such em Se different instruments are tempered in a widely 
ifferent manner ; and on one instrument the key of A is tempered 
like the key of Ab on another. If an instrument be tuned in the 
equal temperament—which is the more common and popular— 
every key is tempered precisely ois and consequently all peculi- 
arity from the cause assigned will ar. If an alteration of 
pitch, either, be the cause, as some hws supposed, of this peculiar- 
ity in the different keys, as instruments often vary from one an- 
other, in pitch, a semitone, it will often be difficult to decide which 
is the “soft and tender” key of Ab, and the “ pert” key of A. If an 
organ be tuned correctly in the key of Ab, (or four flats,) and the 
temperature of the room rise a few degrees, the relative pitch of 
the whole organ will rise a comma, aud the music played in the 
key of four flats will have the character (if this theory be correct) 
of the key of eight sharps !* 
30. Undo oubtedly, in pees intonation, a certain key is fre- 
quently more appropriate for a given composition than any other 
key ; but that a certain oe gives to music performed in it, any 
such scsi! as we have quoted, is (in our opinion) as fanciful 
as to suppose that the size of the canvas determines the character 
of the painting. We will suppose a composer has an idea which 
he would express in a soft and gentle air; thinking that the char- 
acter of Ab, renders it the most appropriate key for the expres- 
sion of his idea, he writes his music in that key and arranges It 
for a quartette. He executes the music, thus arranged, on his 
piano-forte, and the soft and gentle effect desired is produced. 
a then gives it to a quartette to perform, without any accompa- 
ment. ‘They take their pitch a semitone higher than his Ab, 
wee is, exactly i in his * pert” key of A. Would the composer 
bE aac is something so very i f the different keys having 
different characters, se one tied deny, romans a dot whether pi a the oy had any 
aie uch however, we are compelled to s s the fact—it is found in the 
books, and is ‘ancl at ba: ni pEn day, by ens teacher of reputation . fog ch one 
still doubts the fact, we would refer him umber of the London Quar- 
pom Review, vol. 83, p. 21 4 Am. ae wher ind an ele sa ty ten paca ge on “ Mu- 
the cha pee yeas complexions of te er pe keys ford the ak a theme 
for many sublim arks, as if the theo a, hag nen « A whole 
ewa 
rt 
minor, as in Schubert’s Erl King, and all the Erl kings that we 
have Patel A very proper reply to this writer in the Quarterly, can be foun 
1 aa Wade rn Notation of Music 0 volume of the West 
minster, te lili we Feat ninaaly referred in a previo 
