Klarinet Archive - Posting 000180.txt from 1994/10

From: Martin Pergler <pergler@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: the Clarinet d'amour
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 1994 18:35:55 -0400

On Mon, 17 Oct 1994, Cary Karp wrote:

> On Mon, 17 Oct 1994, Fred McKenzie wrote:
>
> > RE>>the Clarinet d'amour
> > Cary Karp stated:
> > A415 is pretty much of a myth. There were several pitches in use during
> > the "Baroque" and if a single one were to be adopted for general use in
> > period instrumental contexts it could justifiably be argued to be
> > significantly lower than 415.
> >
> > Cary-
> >
> > Could it be as low as 392 Hz? It seems to me that discussions of old
> > instrument pitch have an inherent ambiguity. If you use a historically
> > claimed pitch without knowing what the prevailing standard was, you
> > risk an error in the order of one or two semitones.
>
> It certainly could be as low as 392. On the basis of all the evidence that
> I've examined, a whole tone lower than modern is a better choice for a
> convenient general purpose "authentic Baroque" instrument pitch than is a
> semitone lower.

>From the backgound of an (amateur) recorder player as well as an
(amateur) clarinettist, it is certainly true that there is quite
a bit of dispute re "baroque" pitch. While one hears quite
a bit about 392 now, I hope I am not incorrect in saying that 415
seems to be more frequently used as a standard. (I'm not claiming
which, if any, is more correct; just what a lot of people seem to
use) So, it is perhaps pragmatic to be driven by what people you
wish to play with use -- of course, much more of a concern if there
are other winds involved, than with strings, or if you are in the
position of being able to dictate the whole ensemble.

Martin