A440 under fire

[Rodney Pritchett]

Richard Brekne wrote:
> 
> Thanks Ed... I needed a wee bit of support there.. grin.. But ACTUALLY... hehe..
> I was just wondering if any of you guys off the top of your head knew where I
> could get a copy or and address to get a copy of this international standards
> deal from 1939. I know how to handle these folks here and I know this is what I
> need. I have been plowing through the internet seas looking for something direct
> about this and cant get past the American adoption of the standard a bit earlier
> on. And believe me.. these folks wont give a hoot about what a bunch of crazy
> americans think... grin.. Provincial town Bergen is dont you know.. Home of
> Edvard Grieg you see... Norwegians can be very proud folks... I just love em....
> still I have to be able to wift a official looking piece of paper at them...
> preferably one that is signed by some Norwegian officialdom....
> 
> So.. which international organization is likeliest to have authority in this
> regard ?? Anybody ??
> 


Richard,

I found reference to this hiding out there somewhere: 

. . . "that A440 was

universally adopted in 1939 by an international
conference held in London under the auspices of the
International Standards Association. It replaced the old
standard of 435 that had been fixed by the Paris Academy
in 1859 (diapason normale) and confirmed, under the
term "international pitch," at a conference held in
Vienna in 1885.

(quoted from the Harvard Dictionary of Music, second edition
1969)."

So maybe a check with HDM would give you the ammunition you need? 
Granted, it's not Norwegian, but you can't have your lutefisk and eat it
too . . .

Rodney Pritchett
Marietta, GA

OK, and how does a guy from Georgia know about lutefisk??? My wife is
from South Dakota, and they have lot's of Norwegians there.  :-)