Pitch

[Robert Wilson]

--- John Delacour <JD@Pianomaker.co.uk> wrote:
> At 5:23 PM -0800 1/10/02, Robert Wilson wrote:
> 
> >Joe,
> >How can you say that,  Chopin heard all his music a
> >semi-tone flat by today's standards.  How can you
> say
> >it isn't just as beautiful at the pitch he knew?
> 
> With A at 415 c/s ?!  Who told you that?
> 
> 1834 -- Paris Conservatoire fork -- 435.4 c/s
> 
> >I learned on a Victorian piano at old pitch, and
> accepted that it 
> >was a semi-tone flat.
> 
> Which "old pitch".  Almost every pitch in the world
> by 1870 was 
> sharper than A=440.  In London 1878, Collard tuned
> at 449.9, Erard at 
> 455.3, Steinway at 454.7 and Chappell at 455.9 -- or
> roughly "Old 
> Philharmonic"
> 
> The Victorian age witnessed a steady RISE in pitch
> to an unacceptable 
> level which was finally brought down by
> international agreement.
> 
> Don't take my word for it; read the long and
> detailed appendix in Helmholtz.
> 
> JD
> 
We can discuss various pitches until the cows come
home - but what is your opinion of the important part
of the discussion i.e. is Chopin's music less
beautiful at any other pitch than what Joe considered
to be the proper pitch?

Bob Wilson.
London


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