A wind instrument can be tuned to anything you like. Don ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary Mushlin" <gmushlin@mindspring.com> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org> Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 10:46 AM Subject: Re: A 440 Hz Standard > It has been called to my attention that wind instruments are now being > built to A-442. Does anyone have any any information to confirm this? > Are all wind instruments being built at A-442, or just a select group? > Or maybe my information is wrong. > > This certainly would complicate the problem. > > Sincerely, > Gary Mushlin, MME, RPT > > > On Monday, April 12, 2004, at 10:03 AM, stephen kabat wrote: > > > Jim - I tune in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Cleveland Orchestra tunes to > > A-440. > > I also had the opportunity recently to ask the head tuner at the > > Juillard School in NYC what they tuned to, and he told me that the head > > of the school wanted A-441. From the way the tech described the > > situation, it seems to me that he simply accepted the administrator's > > decision rather than make waves. I can understand that, sortof. Having > > said that, though, it seems to me that there really is a confusion in > > the minds of musicians and orchestra administrators between what > > constitutes pitch and what constitutes timbre. Several years ago, the > > principal violist of the Philadelphia orchestra came here to do some > > recording with our piano faculty head, and he wanted our piano raised > > to > > 442, because that's what he was used to in Philly. I told him(with > > flame > > suit at the ready!!) that we tuned to 440 because if it was good > > enough > > for George Szell it was good enough for me! He was surprised that the > > Cleveland Orchestra tuned to 440; he thought it tuned to 442. I > > assured > > him that no, the Cleveland Orch. tuned to 440, thank you very much. > > Sorry for the length of this post, but this topic is something > > that gets my goat. Why is this (accepting standard pitch) so hard? I > > wish someone would write a scholarly article, couched in the > > appropriate > > ivory-tower legalize, that would convince these people to leave the > > pitch at 440 and tell the string players to deal with it. Maybe Owen > > Jorgensen or someone else has already done so, and we could mail the > > Administrators our thoughts. > > A Petition, as it were. > > Regards, Steve Kabat > > -----Original Message----- > > From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of > > James Ellis > > Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 10:08 AM > > To: caut@ptg.org > > Subject: A 440 Hz Standard > > > > The National Symphony Orchestra from Washington DC is giving a concert > > in > > Oak Ridge TN on April 23. Their manager has informed the ORCMA manager > > in > > Oak Ridge that the piano must be tuned to A 442, and they even sent > > general > > instructions about how and when to do it. I'm just wondering: What > > orchestras are there out there that play at various different pitches > > other > > than A=440 Hz, and what are those pitches? If 442 is better than 440, > > why > > then is 443 not better than 442, or 444, 445, 446, or even 447 not a > > lot > > better than any of the former? Once upon a time, I'm told, a yard was > > equal to the distance between the king's nose and the tip of his > > outstretched finger. I'm glad we got beyond that. Whatever happened > > to > > the idea of standards, anyway? It seems to me that some people just > > have > > to be different. > > > > Sincerely, Jim Ellis > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > > _______________________________________________ > > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > > _______________________________________________ > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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