Klarinet Archive - Posting 000238.txt from 1998/09

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Short barrels
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 21:05:40 -0400

On Mon, 7 Sep 1998, Edwin V. Lacy wrote:
> The reading and study I have done on the history of tuning and temperament
> seems to indicate that neither of the two assertions about can be
> substantiated. In Europe, as well as America and much of the rest of the
> world, the standard pitch varied so much from area to area, and changed so
> often, that each city could have its own pitch standard.

My later post shortened the interval to the last 35-45 years....as proven
by recordings. I have already substantiated how recordings can be proven
accurate.

> "Over the years the frequency of the standard A has gone up. [from
> Handel's A@-----.5, for example] The reason for this rise is still not
> established. It appears that those instruments, such as the strings, that
> can tune to any pitch gain an advantage in "brightness" if they are tuned
> sharp with respect to those instruments, such as the woodwinds, that must
> be built to a fixed standard of pitch. Whatever the reason, toward the
> end of the nineteenth century the standard A had gone as high as 455
> cycles per second in England

Gosh....looks like it was only a mere 100 years. Sorry for the mistake.

> "It is to the ultimate advantage of musicians everywhere to keep the
> standard at the recommended value of A@-----. Amy attempt to raise this
> standard for any short-term gain in "brightness" or whatever else should
> be resisted as pernicious and contrary to musicians' best interests."
>
> I can't say it any better than that.

No one every argued that A440 is not ideal...I've thought it all along. I
just disagree with the contention that it is a later trend to imitate some
"stupid trend" in Europe. Something that has been around 45-50
years.....now proven to be closer to 100 years (by your own research)
does not appear to be a "trend." Now, if you want to say that, out of a
600 year history, 100 years of a particular performance practice is a
trend, great. But it is neither rising, nor is it getting any worse than
it was 35-40 years ago.

I can't say it any better than that.

Roger Garrett
IWU

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