15
T R A N S P O S E R 0
T U N I N G A = 4 4 0 . 0
3. Rotate the Alpha Dial to adjust the tuning.
Note: When the organ is turned off, the tuning will return to the default setting (A=440.0).
TEMPERAMENTS
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in authentic interpretation of organ literature written
before the adoption of Equal Temperament tuning. Until the middle of the 18th century, the relative
pitches of the notes of the scale were chosen to favor music written in key signatures with few sharps or
flats; more remote keys produced varying degrees of aural distress. Many composers of the day utilized
moderately out of tune intervals to evoke momentary tension to the listener. With the adoption of the
Equal Temperament (“Well-Tempered”) tuning system, almost universal today, all keys became equally
out of tune, and the intentions of these earlier composers were lost, to some degree.
The Rodgers 805C offers a choice of eight temperaments: Equal, Mean-Tone, Kirnberger,
Werckmeister I, Werckmeister III, Young I, Young II and Pythagorean. This selection of temperaments
allows the organist to hear these historical works as their composers heard them, or to explore the
application of unequal temperament to new music.
