A440 VS A442

PIANISSIMO PIANOFORTE S.L. patrick@pianospianissimo.com
Thu, 26 Jan 2006 10:05:46 +0100 (CET)


Hi Ron,

I see i'm not alone with regards to the A440-A442 dilema...

In the last few years there has been an increasing number of customers
here in Spain (both pro and not so pro) requesting the hire pianos to be
at A442.

Why A442? well, most of the time its seems to me that its because they
like the number or something...:)

When talking to a VERY good clarinet player i asked him the pitch
question, and his answer was that any decent windplayer should be more
than able to play with the piano being either at 440 or 442. (and many
wont even hear the difference)

It seems like many european orchestra musicians cant or dont want to make
the small effort of going down to 440? (most of them are young and
inexperienced) When we have had american ensembles coming over here,
the've always requested "concert pitch A440"...

And funnily enough, i've had some idiot making a fuss of how important it
was that the piano MUST be at A442 when after all it was a piano solo
recital!!!

oh, i've even had the "manager" (father) of this 10 yr old violinist
wanting the piano at 443 (of course i said yeah yeah sir.. and left it at
442, did anyone know? absolutely not!)

and the story goes on with stuff like this....

With regards to wind instruments, i've been told that the ones made in
France are meant to be tuned (or at least tuned easier) at 442, how about
the ones made elsewhere?

Anyway... At the end of the day is the customer that pays and often decide
the pitch.

What we do nowadays is have most the hire pianos at A442 as most
instruments can tune to that, the windplayers and orchestras are happy,
and piano soloists are not going to complaint. (we do keep however one of
the D's at 440 just in case!)

So perhaps A442 is going to end up being the "official" concert pitch
sooner or later...

Regards,

Patrick


>  Hi Friends
>
> I have the privilege of tuning a Hamburg Steinway "D" 9 foot for a local
> large church which is also the home of our local Vero Beach Symphonic
> Association and other concerts.
>
> For the the church ,the piano is kept at A440 to match a fine pipe organ.
> The problem is that we have many concerts that feature European
> orchestra's and artists that in their contracts have asked and/or demanded
> A442.  It is my understanding that they think this makes the treble
> brighter.This would not be a problem with the exception that every time we
> have to tune the piano 442 it requires being tuned again to 440 after the
> concerts. The piano is then rather unstable for a while
>
> I have suggested that there isn't an ear in the world that can hear the
> difference between 440 and 442 and that the  Symphonic Association should
> just send back the contract with the 442 crossed out and 440 put in it;s
> place. We have done that this year with no problem, however, several of
> our very fine local artist  and customers which are involved with the
> association are concerned that it will come back to bite us. I have had
> times in my past when a stage manager or other representative of the
> artists/orchestra would check the pitch to make sure it was 442.
>
> To back up my argument, Last year we had the Prague Symphony  with an
> outstanding artist. Along with the usual symphonic program they performed
> a Beethoven Concerto.I went up, as usual, prior to the concert to check on
> the piano which I had tuned to A442 as requested. I asked the conductor,
> "why the 442" to which I got all kinds of broken english replies and
> concerns about the piano having to be at 442 because of the woodwinds and
> stringed instruments, etc.,etc.,etc..  Then the 1st violinist came rushing
> up all concerned about my question and in a huff demanding that the piano
> had to be 442. I calmed them down and told them that they could rest easy
> because the piano was at 442. I was just curious as to why.
>
> After a few numbers, It came time for the concert artist to come forth for
> the piano concerto.  The 1st violinist walked over to the piano. She
> struck an A major chord, walked away from the piano and probably 5-10
> seconds later strummed what she thought was , I suppose, A442.  The artist
> came forth, the concerto began and I sat there with shiivers going up and
> down my spine as I listened to a piano at A442 and a orchestra closer to
> 430 if that.
>
> Do any of you other concert tuners have similar problems,experiences or
> suggestions? So far we have had no problem with the season at 440 but as I
> mentioned before, there are those local excellent artists that are
> concerned.
>
> I know that A442 is popular in other parts of the world. Steinway, Hamburg
> stipulates 442 in their specifications. I also understand that some
> instruments such as clairnets, etc are manufactured at 442.  Is it time to
> change this standard and tune our pianos to 442?
>
> Thank you for your thoughts and input.
>
> Ron May, RPT
> Vero Beach, FL
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>




Patrick Hinves Ballesta
Afinador/Técnico 610442371
PIANISSIMO PIANOFORTE S.L.


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