[CAUT] harpsichord (was Re: temperature and pitch)

[Fred Sturm]

On Dec 18, 2009, at 7:29 PM, Elwood Doss wrote:

> Hi Fred,
> On the first tuning did you tune with the stage lights on?  If not,  
> why?
> Wouldn't the harpsichord come back in tune for the dress rehearsal  
> after
> the "dark" day on stage?  Just curious.
> Joy!
> Elwood
>

I didn't have any choice in the matter. I had a time set aside for me  
to tune. I had to deal with whatever conditions were there. It's a  
different matter in the recital hall, where I can actually make some  
requests and have them adhered to, but with a whole orchestra and  
chorus and a 2000 seat hall, I'm a pretty small fish in a big pond.  
Only so much accommodation is going to happen.
	Actually, the lights were on when I arrived, and found the hall at  
76F. And I'm sure they stayed on for the next four hours until the  
rehearsal was over, hence the rise to over 80F. The lights are small  
ones, on an acoustic shell, but they do put out heat. They aren't like  
theater spots, though, which really focus radiant heat. They were  
probably on for a couple hours while they checked for and replaced   
burned out bulbs and whatnot, as they hung the shell in mid morning or  
early afternoon, and it hadn't been used for a while. Otherwise, I  
doubt they would have had them on long enough to get that hot.
	As for it coming back in tune, my assessment was that it had gone  
flat due to drying out. And the temperature for the first rehearsal  
was higher than it would be for dress rehearsal or performance. So I  
needed to adjust pitch. I think I can pretty well count on the same  
conditions for dress and for the two performances (another one  
tomorrow night), which is starting at 70F and heating up to about 75  
or so during the show. I expect tomorrow I will have very little pitch  
adjusting to do.
	 A part of this whole process has been watching the instrument  
acclimate (meaning dry out and go flat), and at the same time keep  
track of temperature so I see the whole picture. If you don't watch  
both, it can be very confusing (as in, what's with those sharp bass  
strings? That doesn't make any sense. Unless you noted the  
temperature, and knew how far they could move when cooled or heated).  
Hence my detailed account. I've been through this many, many years,  
and am pretty used to it myself, but it occurred to me that this is  
not common experience.
Fred