RE 440 plus

[David ilvedson]

But what about all the other pianists, music directors etc. that 
have "absolute pitch" and have been listening to 440 all these 
years.  Aren't they just as conditioned to 440?  How about 
another meeting of minds and compromise on A442 but 
everyone has to do it? 

David Ilvedson

Date sent:      	Wed, 15 Sep 1999 11:56:18 -0500
From:           	Kenneth Sloane <kenneth.sloane@oberlin.edu>
Subject:        	RE 440 plus
To:             	caut@ptg.org
Send reply to:  	caut@ptg.org

> To All- I don't think the requests to tune above 440 are necessarily
> associated with the search for a brighter sound. Most of the music directors
> that insist on 440 plus tunings have absolute pitch, and they probably grew
> up listening to and playing in orchestras that perform at a pitch level
> above 440. By conditioning, they carry around a "higher" A in their ears
> that they "force" on other people.
> 
> To give my arguement some historical perspective, The American Fedration of
> Musicians back in 1921 -- to combat all the musical groups and musical
> instrument manufactures that were using an A that had risen, in many cases,
> above 450 -- adopted 440 as their standard; but it was already too late. Too
> many prominent musicians already had the A440 plus imprint in their brain,
> and there was no going back.
> 
> Sorry, but the 440 battle is a losing one.     Ken Sloane, Oberlin
> Conservatory
> 


David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA
ilvey@jps.net