Klarinet Archive - Posting 000536.txt from 1998/11

From: "Cynthia M. Lee" <leec@-----.nl>
Subj: [kl] Re: Concert A pitch, again
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 20:58:34 -0500

>Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 20:36:47 -0800
>To: Klarinet list <klarinet@-----.org>
>From: Edinger/Gilman <wde1@-----.com>
>Subject: Concert A pitch, again
>
> I was going through the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics the
>other day (I finished reading all the phone books) - in case that's
>unfamiliar, it's a standard reference text for the hard sciences,
>covering standards for more things than you could imagine - and ran
>across the Musical Scale table. Concert A was listed as 440Hz in the
>U.S. as of 1936, determined by the American Standards Association, and
>European A as 435, as of 1891, making it LOWER, not higher, that the
>U.S. The 1954 edition of the CRC said the same thing as the 1973 and
>1986 versions. So why are some people claiming or trying to justify a
>higher pitch in Europe? Or is the CRC handbook failing to stay
>up-to-date?
> Also, there was a recent survey on the Flute List which listed the
>pitch of respondents' instruments (among other things). Almost half had
>instruments that were designed for A442, with a slim majority at A440.
>Any idea how most clarinets stack up here?
>
>Bill Edinger
>
>------------------------------
As an American living in Europe who has played in 5 different bands,
clarinet ensembles and wind orchestras in both Norway and The Netherlands
during the last 3 years, I can attest that all of them tune to A@-----. And
all the clarinetists that I have met have instruments made to A@-----. When
I ordered my Buffet RC Prestige a year ago direct from Paris through my
teacher, who was principal clarinetist in the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra
in Norway, there was no question about what pitch I wanted. It was assumed
that it was A@-----. So regardless of what CRC Handbook says, my experience,
although somewhat limited, suggests that A=442 seems to be the commonly
accepted standard in at least two countries in Europe.

Hope this helps.

Cynthia

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