Klarinet Archive - Posting 000368.txt from 2006/08

From: clarni bass <clarnibass@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] higher pitch standard in Europe?
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:07:35 -0400

Here in Israel it is a little strange situation. We
use both 440 and 442. Orchestras use 442 most of the
time, but pianos are tuned to 440 (most of them) so
when playing with piano the orchestra will tune to
440.

When I played with a chamber group of six people, we
tuned to both (not at the same time!). For example,
one time the cello was already tuned to 440 so we
tuned to that, one time we just decided on 442 because
it was easier at the moment for the bass clarinets to
play 442 (was very hot).

Most people here play the R13 clarinet, exactly the
same as in the USA, and they manage to play A=442 or
A=440 with it, so you don't necessarily need a
different instrument.

Here is more about this from the great clarinet maker
Peter Eaton: "The suggestion from some makers that
mouthpieces or clarinets have a fixed absolute pitch
is unrealistic. A clarinet/mouthpiece/reed combination
does not have a precise pitch until a player combines
with them, and the pitch resulting from a particular
set-up can vary by a surprisingly large degree,
depending on who is playing it. Read Jack Brymer's
wise words on the subject in his book "Clarinet"
(Yehudi Menuhin Music Guides) pages 131-2. The two
players he mentions are himself and Roy Jowitt who
were the two London Symphony principals at the time of
writing."

As far as I know, in European countries they play
A=442 or sometimes higher (in Austria or Germany
maybe).

Hope this helps.

--- Martin Baxter <martinbaxter@-----.net> wrote:

> PITCH IN FRANCE SEEMS AROUND A=443 I believe it is
> even higher in
> Vienna!
> Sorry about those Caps.
> Martin
> On 28 Aug 2006, at 14:49, John Gibson wrote:
>
> > I have posted about my clarinet intonation book
> recently and the
> > question has come up about the pitch standard. For
> the Cd's I used
> > A440. However, a player in Italy emailed me that
> if I wanted to
> > sell in Europe, A442 should be used.
> >
> > I did an archive search here and there seems to be
> some
> > confirmation of this.
> >
> > Does anyone know just how widespread the higher
> pitch is? Do
> > instrument makers have to make instruments pitched
> differently for
> > different markets?
> >
> > John Gibson, JB Linear Music
> > www.jb-linear-music.com
> >
> >
> >
>
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