[CAUT] 440

[Paul T Williams]

Everyone here at UNL insists on 440 as the standard.  The only pianos I 
let "float" are the practice rooms which can swing from 439-443.  We 
occasionally get requests for 442 from European ensembles, but never a 
visiting pianist. So the D's and B's we use for concerts are always at 
440...year round. I will tune up when requested, although it's a pain.

Paul




From:
"Chris Solliday" <csolliday at rcn.com>
To:
<caut at ptg.org>
Date:
11/11/2009 06:44 PM
Subject:
[CAUT] 440



I'm coming in late here and have missed abit but I did want to pass on 
that recently I had occasion to tune at Weill Hall, little Carnegie, and I 
was informed by three different house personnel that the Carnegie Hall 
piano ptich is currently 444, and don't change it or else... NY 
Philharmonic Chamber Players insist on 442. Steinway recommends tuning all 
concert grands at 441 to be able to more easily go either way, I would 
have thought that more of left coast thing but...I leave most at 441 and 
no one even notices it's not 440, except Natalie Cole's staff who had ETDs 
and were working with several synths. It has been my practice in recent 
years (I used to be an A440 nazi) to float the pitch with the seasons. 
Alittle sharper in summer never less than 440 in winter. One advantage of 
using an ETD is being able to precisely assess the pitch throughout the 
registers, figure an average offset and choose the path of most stability.
 Isn't there some kind of international treaty about this? Isn't this a 
job for Interpol? maybe there's a reward?
Chris Solliday, RPT

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