Temperament ordinaire

Cinquieme Prelude
from L'art de toucher le Clavecin by François Couperin, performed by Robert Schröter on a harpsichord tuned in equal temperament
Cinquieme Prelude
The same work performed in a reconstructed tuning of "temperament ordinaire", which could have been used in France during Couperin's time
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The phrase temperament ordinaire (French tempérament ordinaire, meaning literally "ordinary temperament" or "usual temperament") is a term for musical intonation, particularly the tempered tuning of keyboard instruments. In modern usage, it usually refers to temperaments falling within the range (as understood broadly) of tunings now known as "well-tempered".

The expression occurs primarily in French-language works of the 17th and 18th centuries concerning theory and practice of musical intonation with regard to keyboard instruments.[1][2] It is discussed again, in the same or a similar musical application, in modern literature concerned with historical practices relating to keyboard instruments and performance.

  1. ^ (Huygens, 1691): C Huygens, "Lettre touchant le Cycle Harmonique", in "Histoire des Ouvrages des Sçavans" (publ. Rotterdam) Oct 1691, (issue for Sept-Oct-Nov), pages 78-88.
  2. ^ (Rousseau, 1751): J-J Rousseau, "Tempérament", in "Encyclopédie" of Diderot and D'Alembert, Paris, 1751 onwards, volume 16, pages 56-58 (see also Encyclopédie: Tempérament for English translation).