A-440 Policy?

[Ken Eschete]

Avery,
We are presently fighting this same battle.  Here is the response we sent
to a touring orchestra that requested A=443:

 "The concert Steinway pianos at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall are considered
to be among the best pianos on any concert stage and we are very protective
of them.  They are kept at the International Stand Pitch of A=440HZ.
Changing a piano to A=443 involves at least 5 tunings to raise and then
lower pitch, and subjects the piano to radical increases in string tension.
We have decided not to subject our instruments to this kind of radical
change and ask that visiting ensembles plan to tune to A-440.  It is, after
all, easily within the tuning range of all orchestra instruments as long as
the oboe players bring reeds that are constructed for this standard pitch."

I have the temporary advantage of holding an interim position as Director
of Concert Activities.  While I'm in charge of the concert halls, we are
going to do it my way!

Ken


>List,
>
>   Just thought I'd vent a little. I worked off-campus all day
>yesterday and didn't check my messages until around 6 PM. The
>Houston Symphony is here for 3 days beginning today (at _their_
>request, not ours) for an all-Copeland concert Saturday night
>and we were not "informed" until 4:45 yesterday afternoon that
>they wanted the piano at A-442. You'll notice I said informed,
>not asked! As in "permission".
>   Needless to say, my hackles are STILL up. I had to get here
>about 6 AM this morning to do the pitch raise job for them
>because we were informed so late, that I had no chance to fight
>it. When that alarm went off at 4:30 AM, well, let's just say
>that you'd rather not hear my "thoughts" about why.
>   I just had a talk with the Director of the School of Music
>and he's in total agreement with me. After this concert is over,
>the OFFICIAL policy is that our performance halls are A-440 halls
>and if any other pitch is desired, the organization will bring
>their own instrument(s). I'll tune it to whatever is desired, if
>they want, but _our_ 4 instruments are to stay at A-440!
>   The director also told me that the symphony is to be billed
>for a pitch raise job and a pitch lowering job.
>   It's wonderful working at a school that gives me this kind of
>support and backing!
>   Just curious. Does anyone else have that kind of official
>policy at your school?
>
>Avery

_____________________________________________________________________________
Ken Eschete				    Phone: 847/491-5441
Interim-Director of Concert Activities		    FAX: 847/467-1831
Northwestern University School of Music	    EMAIL: k-eschete@northwestern.edu

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall		    Tickets: 847/467-4000

1977 South Campus Drive			    Concert Hotline: 847/467-PICK
Evanston, IL 60208-2420			    http://www.nwu.edu/pick-staiger/