Pitch/Bob Wilson

[Robert Wilson]

--- Joseph Garrett <joegarrett@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Bob,
> Are you a piano technician? I ask this, because some
> of your comments are
> simply false. "Victorian Pitch", as you put it, is
> 1/2 tone flat. This is
> simply untrue. If you had done some study on the
> subject, as I have, you
> would know that "Victorian Pitch", first of all, is
> stupid classification,
> as there were many pitches during the "Victorian
> Period". To put it simply
> this is why we now have a "Standard" pitch. However,
> in the interim, what
> most considered "Victorian Pitch", or on this side
> of the "Pond",
> "International Pitch", was A=435cps, (or C=517cps),
> this "pitch" is 20%
> lower than A=440cps, NOT 100% flat, ("1/2 tone"), as
> you state! As for
> Chopin hearing his music a 1/2 tone flat, that is
> pure BS. It depended on
> which city he was in as to what pitch he was
> subjected to. And even in the
> same city, there were various pitches for each
> particular venue. Do your
> homework and then joust with me. <G>
> Respectfully,
> Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)

Hello Joe,

You sign your emails 'respectfully' but I'm not so
sure that you mean it.  Firstly, yes, I am a piano
technician, nearer retirement than the beginning.  I
Tune for Andrew Lloyd Webber and his musicals, I spend
a lot of time at Phantom of the Opera and have done
for 15 years.  I am also tuner to the Henry Wood
Trust.  They have premises for 85 young musicians who
come from all over the world, the concert artistes of
tomorrow, and I look after their pianos and work with
them.  I also tune for many top musicians, concert
artists and venues - so I don't want you to think I
spend my time rolling around London tuning birdcage
pianos!

Of course I know that there were several pitches in
use in Victorian times  - it is just easier to say
Victorian pitch than list them, they were lower than
today's pitch and you know it - but I notice you have
ignored the important part of my argument - is
Chopin's music less beautiful in those pitches (take
your pick) than what you call the proper pitch - See
your previous email.

Personally, I feel that if past composers came back
and heard their music performed in the glorious
technicolour of equal temperament A440 on powerful
modern concert grands they might consider it brash and
vulgar, especially if they had been used to the
lighter tones of wooden frame pianos.  Incidentally, I
have read all the major biographies of Chopin
including the definitive Arthur Hedley biography, so I
actually feel I do know something about the subject.
He favoured Pleyel pianos.  But, Joe I will always bow
to your superior knowledge.  I feel that if someone
can turn Englands worst pianos into something decent
after they have passed their hundredth birthday (when
they were nothing special when new) then they deserve
to be listened to.  By the way, I never did see your
promised birdcage post on the purpose of the
overdamper action.  Did you post it at Christmas, when
I was away or is it still to come?

Yours,

Bob Wilson.
London.

p.s. You might like to tell them in Vienna that we
have a standard pitch now - they are using A446 there!
and a recent competition in Germany stipulated A443 !

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