A 440 Hz Standard

[fssturm@unm.edu]

Hi Gary,
   I can confirm that wind instruments are made for A-442 and for A-445. Our 
oboist lived for several years in Europe, and got a new 440 instrument when he 
returned to the US. He tells me that 442 is beyond the capability of the 440 
instrument, that he could use shorter reed tubes and barely reach that pitch, but 
the overall intonation would suffer (ie, you have changed the entire length of the 
instrument, thus the relationships when using the various keys will have 
changed). Our clarinetist tells me (in response to my asking him) that he has 
various length barrels (a short section that goes between mouthpiece and body) 
which can set the pitch of the instrument. But he concurs about the intonation 
problems, and says if he had to play at 442 (or whatever) all the time, he would 
need a new instrument. Flautist agrees. Brass folks say the same to varying 
extents. Strings: not a problem. Does affect the timbre of the instrument. Which is 
why European orchestras (and many American) use the higher pitch.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico

Quoting Gary Mushlin <gmushlin@mindspring.com>:

> It has been called to my attention that wind instruments are now
> being 
> built to A-442. Does anyone have any any information to confirm this?
> 
> Are all wind instruments being built at A-442, or just a select
> group? 
> Or maybe my information is wrong.
> 
> This certainly would complicate the problem.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Gary Mushlin, MME, RPT
> 
> 
> On Monday, April 12, 2004, at 10:03  AM, stephen kabat wrote:
> 
> > Jim - I tune in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Cleveland Orchestra tunes
> to
> > A-440.
> > I also had the opportunity recently to ask the head tuner at the
> > Juillard School in NYC what they tuned to, and he told me that the
> head
> > of the school wanted A-441. From the way the tech described the
> > situation, it seems to me that he simply accepted the
> administrator's
> > decision rather than make waves. I can understand that, sortof.
> Having
> > said that, though, it seems to me that there really is a confusion
> in
> > the minds of musicians and orchestra administrators between what
> > constitutes pitch and what constitutes timbre. Several years ago,
> the
> > principal violist of the Philadelphia orchestra came here to do
> some
> > recording with our piano faculty head, and he wanted our piano
> raised 
> > to
> > 442, because that's what he was used to in Philly. I told him(with
> 
> > flame
> > suit at the ready!!)  that we tuned to 440 because if it was good 
> > enough
> > for George Szell it was good enough for me! He was surprised that
> the
> > Cleveland Orchestra tuned to 440; he thought it tuned to 442.  I 
> > assured
> > him that no, the Cleveland Orch. tuned to 440, thank you very
> much.
> > 	Sorry for the length of this post, but this topic is something
> > that gets my goat. Why is this (accepting standard pitch) so hard? 
> I
> > wish someone would write a scholarly article, couched in the 
> > appropriate
> > ivory-tower legalize, that would convince these people to leave
> the
> > pitch at 440 and tell the string players to deal with it. Maybe
> Owen
> > Jorgensen or someone else has already done so, and we could mail
> the
> > Administrators our thoughts.
> > A Petition, as it were.
> > Regards, Steve Kabat
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf
> Of
> > James Ellis
> > Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 10:08 AM
> > To: caut@ptg.org
> > Subject: A 440 Hz Standard
> >
> > The National Symphony Orchestra from Washington DC is giving a
> concert
> > in
> > Oak Ridge TN on April 23.  Their manager has informed the ORCMA
> manager
> > in
> > Oak Ridge that the piano must be tuned to A 442, and they even
> sent
> > general
> > instructions about how and when to do it.  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?  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?  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.
> >
> > Sincerely, Jim Ellis
> >
> >
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