[CAUT] Pianoforte pitch

[Laurence Libin]

That's funny. Which opera? Although contemporary references suggest a piano 
might have been used in Prague for Don Giovanni in the late 1780s, Vienna's 
opera house apparently continued to use the harpsichord through Mozart's 
lifetime.
Laurence

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Porritt, David" <dporritt at mail.smu.edu>
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 10:04 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Pianoforte pitch


> Our opera department is in rehearsal for performance of a Mozart opera in 
> a couple of weeks and they wanted to use the Fortepiano for the 
> recitatives but with the orchestra at 440 and the fortepiano at 430 it 
> just couldn't work.  They've decided to use harpsichord instead.  That 
> disparate pitch thing is at least inconvenient!
>
> dp
>
>
> David M. Porritt, RPT
> dporritt at smu.edu
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of 
> Dennis Johnson
> Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 5:48 PM
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Pianoforte pitch
>
> Hi- Rod suggests 432, or at least no higher. We have nice piano of his
> about 6 years old now. I keep it at 432 and woks well.
>
> best,
>
> Dennis Johnson
> St. Olaf College
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jan 23, 2010, at 3:45 PM, Laurence Libin <lelibin at optonline.net>
> wrote:
>
>> 430 sounds right but you could just ask Rod Regier.
>> LL
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Porritt, David" 
>> <dporritt at mail.smu.edu
>> >
>> To: <caut at ptg.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 4:35 PM
>> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Pianoforte pitch
>>
>>
>>> David:
>>>
>>> The fortepiano we had available at times belonged to the teacher so
>>> she set the limits.  She never wanted anything higher than 430 and
>>> I think that was the recommendation of the builder.  It too was a
>>> modern replica.
>>>
>>> dp
>>>
>>>
>>> David M. Porritt, RPT
>>> dporritt at smu.edu
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
>>> Of David Ilvedson
>>> Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 3:25 PM
>>> To: caut at ptg.org
>>> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Pianoforte pitch
>>>
>>> Modern built "Regier" pianoforte.   I'm having a brain lapse, since
>>> I rarely tune ours.  Just A= ?
>>>
>>> David Ilvedson
>>> Pacifica, CA
>>>
>>> On Jan 23, 2010, at 1:17 PM, Laurence Libin <lelibin at optonline.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I don't understand the question. Do you mean a so-called
>>> fortepiano, wood-framed, 18th or early 19th century? If so, the
>>> pitch depends on its date and location, since pitch wasn't
>>> standardized. Florence in 1720 differed from Vienna in 1820. New
>>> replica or antique? Often, old ones are best tuned below their
>>> originally intended pitch for structural and conservation reasons.
>>> Iron strings or modern steel wire? Lots of factors to consider.
>>> Laurence
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Ilvedson" <ilvey at sbcglobal.net
>>> >
>>> To: "Piano Technicians Guild" <caut at ptg.org>; "Piano Technicians
>>> Guild" <pianotech at ptg.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 3:54 PM
>>> Subject: [CAUT] Pianoforte pitch
>>>
>>>
>>> What is the pitch for a pianoforte?  A =  430?
>>>
>>> David Ilvedson
>>> Pacifica, CA
>>>
>>