A443

[McNeilTom@aol.com]

Dave & List -

A couple years ago I overhauled Dallas Symhony's celeste.  As I recall, it 
was at exactly 440.  It would be a major project to retune the celeste!  (A 
celeste is exceedingly stable, of course, but temperature sensitive.)

Many years ago (25?) the PTG had a Standing Committee on Pitch Stabilization, 
which I chaired for a year or two.  The committee fielded occassional 
complaints exactly like the present discussion.  The committee eventually 
came to the conclusion there was nothing constructive it could do about the 
situation; the 'renegade' orchestras were - and are - firmly entrenched.  The 
committee eventually recommended its own dissolution and Council concurred.  
In retrospect, I think the committee should have drafted a brief position 
paper before going out of business.

Newton and Joel Jones and others are right that it is more of a hassle than 
meets the eye to customize the pitch of a concert instrument.  I think the 
response to such requests should be:  "Yes, we can accommodate you.  Our fee 
for that service is [say, four times the usual tuning fee].  Would you like 
us to include that in your contract arrangements?"

For what it's worth:   A professional flutist in my clientelle recently 
commissioned a new hand-made flute (of gold, for $25K +).  To my ears, and by 
all accounts, it's a fabulous instrument.  Anyway, she had it built at 442, 
shooting for the center of the range of performance situations.  She says she 
can comfortably play at 440, but not lower, and as high as 444.  When I work 
with her for performances and recordings, the understanding we have is that 
if the piano is lower than 440, raise to 440.  If it's already a little high 
for some reason, leave it there.

       -   Tom McNeil   -
Vermont Piano Restorations

In a message dated 99-09-14 19:20:18 EDT, David Porritt writes:

<<  The Dallas Symphony tunes to 441 from the principal oboe.  In the first 64
 measures they go higher as the instruments warm up.  When the new pipe
 organ was installed, the organ builders very carefully measured not the
 claim, but the actual pitch where they play.  (The last thing the organ
 people want is for the orchestra to play a section, then the organ comes in
 and sounds flat.)  They tuned the organ at 443.5.  In performance they
 match very well.  >>