Klarinet Archive - Posting 000153.txt from 2005/10

From: "Dick Williams" <dickwilliams@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Pruefer Clarinet
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 01:50:31 -0400

Please please! LP clarinets Do exist but I am old enough to have been there
and was a member when A440 was agreed upon by the AFofM in the late 40's..
It is not low pitch. To the best of my knowledge it is still the standard
though many orchestras tune higher (especially on the continent). Most of
the bands and recording sessions where I have been used 440. Most orchestras
I have been with tune to 440 and move the pitch up during the
concert/rehearsal. Every piano I have seen for years is at 440. Low pitch
refers not to 440 but to the English prewar (WWII) pitch which I believe was
435! Many players avoided the B&H instruments of that period. At that time,
I believe the pitch on the continent was over 450. The 440 was a compromise.
I cannot understand how all this confusion can exists since we have so many
people claiming to have "perfect pitch." I have always wondered which pitch
the perfect referred to.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Hausmann" <bhausmann1@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 5:25 PM
Subject: RE: [kl] Pruefer Clarinet

> At 05:44 AM 10/14/2005 -0700, you wrote:
> >In my opinion, the instrument you describe is a low pitch B-flat
> >clarinet. In the 1920s, when one was called for a gig, the first
> >question that was asked by the player was about pitch. He or she
> >had to know which instrument to bring, and a request that player
> >bring an LP clarinet was commonplace.
>
> I think you are turned around, Dan. Low Pitch is A=440. High Pitch is
> A=452. It was indeed common back in the day to ask about pitch, and one
> might have to bring a High Pitch instrument to play in some ensembles, but
> by the 1920's Low Pitch, or modern pitch, was fairly well established. An
> instrument marked Low Pitch can be played today in any ensemble that tunes
> at or reasonably near standard concert pitch.
>
>
> Bill Hausmann
>
> If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!
>
>
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>

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