I got to play straight-man to pianist Malcolm Bilson during the question and answer session of a lecture he gave last night here in Kansas City on how the evolution of the fortepiano into the modern piano necessitated changes in performance practices. He spoke for an hour and a half, playing musical examples on both a Steinway D and his 1830's Gottlieb Hafner Viennese piano (the real thing, not a replica). He never mentioned tuning, so at the very end, I asked if he ever varied the tuning of his instrument. He replied, "I use equal temperament, and I tune to 430. When I was playing my Mozart piano, I used to tune to a Baroque 415. Some people think I should tune to 440, but if I ever get really good, I'll tune til a quarter-to-five!" Still grinning, Kent Swafford
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC