<html> <body> At 10:07 AM 4/12/2004 -0400, you wrote: Hi Jim, <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>I'm just wondering:  What orchestras are there out there that play at various different pitches other than A=440 Hz, and what are those pitches? </blockquote> The Houston Symphony performs at A-442. I tune for them occasionally when some performance is done here at the university. I also charge them a pitch raise & pitch lowering fee because I'm gotten A-440 established as the standard here at the university! The only person I've gotten any "flack" from at all is a violin teacher. Surprise! :-) We ended up compromising by me tuning her studio piano at A-441 but I still tune A-440 for all our concerts and recitals and told her so. A few years back, the symphony did a series of concerts here calling it a Baroque Festival. Of couse, they did all the concerts at 442 and no HT's at all. :-( Harpsichords were the only keyboard(s) used and I wasn't able to do all the tunings, so I asked their regular tuner to do them. Tuning 3 harpsichords at a time for rehearsals and then again for performances would have been good money! :-) <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite> If 442 is better than 440, why then is 443 not better than 442, or 444, 445, 446, or even 447 not a lot better than any of the former?  </blockquote> I've been told some European orchestras DO go as high as that! The singers HATE it! :-) <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Once upon a time, I'm told, a yard was equal to the distance between the king's nose and the tip of his outstretched finger.  I'm glad we got beyond that.  Whatever happened to the idea of standards, anyway?  It seems to me that some people just have to be different.</blockquote> They seem to think it makes them sound more brilliant, which I guess it does, but there comes a point when some players have to have a special instrument made to be able to reach those higher pitch levels. <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Sincerely, Jim Ellis</blockquote> Avery University of Houston</body> </html>