440 "plus or minus"

[David Porritt]

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