Klarinet Archive - Posting 000431.txt from 1998/08

From: Dirk Kussin <dirk@-----.de>
Subj: Re: [kl] R-13 Prestige vs R-13
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 16:00:30 -0400

In my Buffet catalogue (written in english, french and german) it is
written to each model if it is available in pitch A=440 and/or A=442
(or 444), and probably this catalogue is also available in the US. So,
your comments indicated by ^^^^^ below are not true.

Regards

Dirk

[...]

This brings me to another interesting subject regarding Buffet
clarinets. Have you ever noticed that NOWHERE in any Buffet or
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Boosey & Hawkes literature can you find a reference to the "pitch"
of Buffet
clarinets? There is a good reason for that. Here in the US we seem to be
intellectually stuck on the concept of playing at A@-----. If you do a lot of
playing with piano you may actually be playing at A=440 if the piano is
tuned at that level. However, very few orchestras really stay at that level.

In fact, I have always maintained that Buffet clarinets are tuned
closer to A@-----. If they were really tuned at
A@-----.
Also, with the many subtle variations to bores caused through machining
there is a fairly wide variation in pitch among clarinets even of the same
make. If Buffet was to actually advertise their instruments as A=440 I think
they could be challenged. If they advertised them as A=441 they might lose
some sales. So it is wise that Buffet not allude to any specific
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
pitch level
in their material.

Clark W Fobes

Clark W Fobes
Web Page http://www.sneezy.org/clark_fobes

--
Dirk Kussin dirk@-----.de
Fachbereich 17 Mathematik Raum D2.323
Universität-GH Paderborn Tel. (+49) (5251) 60-2636
D-33095 Paderborn --------- http://www-math.uni-paderborn.de/~dirk/

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