--- Karl Young <kyoung@itsa.ucsf.edu> wrote:
>
> Hi Justin,
>
> I'll mainly defer to the experts other than
> commenting that to first
> order western orchestras have to use some reasonable
> facsimile of equal
> tempered tuning (i.e. to play with instruments like
> piano and make the
> modulations required of most orchestral scores
> there's not much choice).
>
Hi.
On the Flute List there has been a lot of chatter from
orchestra players about rising pitch. This seems to
mean that regardless of the tuning process at the
beginning of a piece, the pitch rises as a movement
progresses. In concert, after a long movement (say in
Mahler) the whole orchestra will sometimes re-tune
which seems to indicate pitch-drift of some sort.
Also, some European orchestras are said to tune to a
higher pitch (a=443 or so). Singers have taken the
position that a lower pitch (a=435, for instance)
would make their lives easier. Lyndon La Rouche even
took this position at one time.
Period instrument performance practice involves a wide
range of pitches. Sometimes a=392 or 415 or 445
depending on the circumstances. Old instruments vary
in pitch from the modern norm.
My point is that there is no easy answer regarding
pitch. Singers and string players easily drift into
just intonation, but a flute player's instrument is
built for equal temperament. The flute player may
adjust pitch for better tuning of chords (just
intonation). So the whole thing is a mixed bag.
Regards,
John Baker
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