Klarinet Archive - Posting 000248.txt from 2010/09

From: "Colin Touchin" <colin.touchin@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Klarinet Digest, Vol 7, Issue 32 - tuning
Date: Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:19:16 -0400

Keith's right about string-players needing to set their open strings correctly,
and a common note is clearly the simplest practical solution; there is indeed
the tradition of asking the oboist to give an A as in baroque times, the first
period when orchestras anything like the modern scoring came to
existence. It was reckoned that the most commonly used orchestral wind
instrument of the time, the oboe, was likely to give the most stable note at a
dynamic suitable for all players to hear. This solution to the problem of how
to get all players centred at the start of rehearsal or concert is as relevant
today as in the past, and is used not because it is traditional, but practical.

A Czech cellist I played with in a clart/vc/pf trio liked the pianist to give him
an Eb as he felt if he could get his A string in tune to that note he'd be as in
tune as ever he could be, but he was an exception.

Once at Chetham's School of Music we were treated with a visit by the
principal oboe (Tony Camden) and flute (Peter Lloyd) of the London
Symphony Orchestra who told the story of how the great Roumanian
conductor Celibadache asked for the oboist's A, then turned to the principal
double bass and asked him to play his OPEN A string; he was told it was
sharp, please flatten it. This was apparently because the harmonic (usually
used by bassists for tuning) is flat so the string is set sharp from the off.
Celibadache proceeded to ask each string player individually to tune each
string till he was satisfied and then asked each wind and brass player to
play individually, the whole process taking 90 minutes!! A furious London
Symphony Orchestra almost forgave him when they played to discover he'd
raised the upper limit (piccolo, etc.) by a fraction, and dropped the bass
similarly, expanding the 8-octave range by about an extra semitone over
their usual tuning range, liberating all their playing with extra expressive
space for solo phrases and chording.

Very often a wind band will tune to a tuba Bb and aim for pure octave
tuning above a root rather than the outwardly expanding process from the
oboist's A in the orchestra which can lead as Celibadache discovered to
crushed octaves either side of the centre even in a world-class orchestra
like the LSO. But concert F is also effective as it suits all brass and most
woodwind about as well as the Bb. The given note really needs to be in the
middle range of all instruments, not at any extreme - these days everyone
plays over a wider pitch range than one or two hundred years ago, so it's
not such an issue which note of the scale is given, so long as trombone
slides are in close position.

What seems odd is an orchestra who tune strings to A and wind/brass to Bb
- unless the A/Bb on the giving instrument can be guaranteed to be
perfectly related the risk of rocky intonation is increased. But then, brass
band contests do not allow tuning on stage, and the bands often tune
downstairs at the Royal Albert Hall to come on stage where there is a sharp
glockenspiel for example - painful.

The necessary combination of tradition and practical solutions to the
constant problems of intonation results in that glorious catchall, experience.

Happy listening, Colin Touchin.
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