Hi Fred, Thanks for the excellent response, including a great explanation of problems wind players experience trying to "stretch" or "shrink" their instruments in order to tune to one note. The article or specification I read indicated that A-442 wind instruments are being made for and sold in this country as well. My point here is that for piano technicians who what to take a stance against anything other than A-440, the battle looks rather hopeless. Sincerely, Gary Mushlin, MME, RPT I get the impression that many piano technicians think that On Monday, April 12, 2004, at 02:06 PM, fssturm@unm.edu wrote: > Hi Gary, > I can confirm that wind instruments are made for A-442 and for > A-445. Our > oboist lived for several years in Europe, and got a new 440 instrument > when he > returned to the US. He tells me that 442 is beyond the capability of > the 440 > instrument, that he could use shorter reed tubes and barely reach that > pitch, but > the overall intonation would suffer (ie, you have changed the entire > length of the > instrument, thus the relationships when using the various keys will > have > changed). Our clarinetist tells me (in response to my asking him) that > he has > various length barrels (a short section that goes between mouthpiece > and body) > which can set the pitch of the instrument. But he concurs about the > intonation > problems, and says if he had to play at 442 (or whatever) all the > time, he would > need a new instrument. Flautist agrees. Brass folks say the same to > varying > extents. Strings: not a problem. Does affect the timbre of the > instrument. Which is > why European orchestras (and many American) use the higher pitch. > Regards, > Fred Sturm > University of New Mexico > > Quoting Gary Mushlin <gmushlin@mindspring.com>: > >> 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 >> > _______________________________________________ > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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