On Fri, 2 Dec 1994 PSLOANE@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU wrote: > > At Oberlin, our ensembles all tune to 440; likewise does the Cleveland > Orchestra, which plays here twice a year. However, our large ensembles > (and the Cleveland Orchestra) usually play in a hall with no humidity > control. The piano there, of course, is a victim of the vicissitudes of a > great lakes environment, including "Alberta Clippers" (horrendous cold > fronts), tropical summers, and the infamous "Lake Effect". Pitch fluctu- > ation with the piano is a given, and for stability's sake, rather than change > the pitch of the piano all the time, I will tune at other than 440. The > degree to which I will deviate from 440 is a funtion of the usage. If a > violinist is playing with the piano, I will let it go quite sharp, as long > as there is no contract clause stipulating 440. I sometimes mention that > the piano is alittle sharp, mentioning stability as being my motive, but > not always. I sort of "play this by ear". > > For some reason, I hate to let a piano go flat to any degree, but I have > tuned pianos for performance that were 0.5 HZ or so flat. As with the violin > in the example I described above, any instrument that does not have a > theoretical fixed pitch, pitch reference can be variable. Watch out for the doble > double reeds; they don't have much flexibility in changing their overall > pitch, and when they try, it usually messes up their relative intonation. The > clarinet is similar but not as bad. > > So much for true confessions. The above may sound somewhat scandalous, but I > can't remember ever getting a complaint about pitch reference in regard to > a concert tuning at Oberlin. > > Ken Sloane, Oberlin Conservatory Although we all like to pretend that we scrupulessly tune to 440 every day of the year, I think most of us are like you, Ken. When pianos here go sharp in the Summer (sometimes as much as 15-16 cents) I let them go. Concert instruments, naturally can't fly like that but even those will go 6-8 cents sharp. The stability that this aids is well worth an occaisional comment from a soprano. Like you, I hate for them to be flat. In the winter I bring them back up if they fall below 440. Dave Porritt SMU
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC