Klarinet Archive - Posting 000115.txt from 1995/05

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Woodwind Quintet Intonation Problems
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 17:19:20 -0400

On Wed, 3 May 1995, Tom Ascher wrote:

> I'm surprised by the post that refers to the oboe as having the most
> intonation problems. I was under the impression that the oboe was the
> most reliable instrument in the orchestra as far as intonation. Isn't
> that why the orchestra tunes to the oboe?!

I think that originally the orchestra tuned to the oboe because it was
regarded as the least flexible as to pitch variability. In other words,
if the orchestra tuned too sharp or flat, the oboe couldn't match the
pitch. It may also have had to do with the tone of the oboe - it may
have been regarded as easier to perceive the exact pitch on the oboe, due
to the harmonic structure of the tone.

Today, we tune to the oboe because that's the way we have always done
it. Musicians are a notoriously tradition-bound group.

Edwin Lacy
el2@-----.edu

   
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