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<DIV>About a quarter century ago the PTG had a Pitch Stabilization Committee=
, a 'standing committee' as I recall. I happened to chair the committe=
e for a year or two. Its purpose was to resist this counterproductive =
pitch inflation which seems to rear its head every once in a while. Th=
e committee was rather impotent, or perhaps not creative enough to generate =
real solutions. Anyway, the epidemic that had been rampant then seemed=
to subside and the committee was eliminated. (However, there's no rea=
son to assume that the current trend for 'one-upmanship' will run its course=
and disappear. Times are different, the recording industry is very di=
fferent, economic resources are differently distributed.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It's true that woodwind instruments are less flexible in pitch than bra=
ss, which in turn are less flexible than the strings. But all are opti=
mized for a particular pitch. As far as I know, the standard for mass-=
produced winds (both woodwinds and brass) is still A=440. Howev=
er, many high-level professional performers are playing custom made instrume=
nts. These can be made at any pitch. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Karen Kevra, a prominent flutist, recording artist, concert performer, =
recently had a new flute made for her. It's at 442 and she says she ca=
n accommodate 440, but absolutely no lower.</DIV>
<DIV>She says she was persuaded that since both of these pitches occur in he=
r world, she would be better off with the higher pitch, adapting as necessar=
y to the lower, rather than the other way around. She also says she's =
not sure that was the best decision since she much more commonly encounters =
440. But since she has $25,000 invested in the new flute (makes concer=
t grands seem a fine bargain?) she's sticking with it for the time being.</D=
IV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Violinist Jamie Laredo insists on 441. My take on his stance is t=
hat the slight pitch raising (of the piano) required to accommodate his=
recitals is just enough to make him special without stepping too hard on ev=
eryone else's toes!</DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face="Lucida Handwriting" size=5 FAMILY="SCRIPT" P=
TSIZE="16"></FONT><FONT lang=0 face="Lucida Handwriting" color=#0000=
00 size=3 FAMILY="SCRIPT" PTSIZE="11">- Tom McNeil -</FONT><FONT lang=
=0 face="Lucida Handwriting" color=#000000 size=5 FAMILY="SCRIPT" =
PTSIZE="16"><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Castellar color=#008080 siz=
e=5 FAMILY="SERIF" PTSIZE="16">V</FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Castellar=
color=#008080 size=4 FAMILY="SERIF" PTSIZE="14">ermont </FONT><FONT=
lang=0 face=Castellar color=#008080 size=5 FAMILY="SERIF" PTSIZE=
="16">P</FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Castellar color=#008080 size=4 FAM=
ILY="SERIF" PTSIZE="14">iano </FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Castellar colo=
r=#008080 size=5 FAMILY="SERIF" PTSIZE="16">R</FONT><FONT lang=0 f=
ace=Castellar color=#008080 size=4 FAMILY="SERIF" PTSIZE="14">esto=
rations</FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#008080 size=2 FAMILY=
="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=
=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><I>"To the intell=
igent man or woman, life appears infinitely mysterious, but the stupid have =
an answer for every question." </I>- Edward Abbey<BR><BR><BR></FONT></DIV></=
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