Klarinet Archive - Posting 000241.txt from 1998/09

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Short barrels
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 22:03:58 -0400

At 08:05 PM 9/7/98 -0500, Roger Garrett wrote:
>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.
>
Better re-read Ed Lacy's post. The gradual upward creep of pitch has been
going on for centuries (Handel A@-----. Every now and again, someone
attempts to re-standardize the pitch (note all the old instruments stampled
"low pitch," meaning made AFTER the return to A=440 that occurred early in
this century). Even with that, apparently the standard had to be
RE-established in 1953 by international agreement. The trend to rising
pitch, as Ed Lacy quoted from John Backus, has no "lasting benefit." He
also said, "Any 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." This is all I have been trying to say,
although Backus said it more eloquently.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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