Posted by Benjamin Schardt on April 09, 2001 at 15:26:28:
In Reply to: A440 ? posted by TS. (the student). on April 09, 2001 at 15:15:04:
440 is the absolute pitch of A in technical terms. 442 and 441 are, of course, higher in pitch. Numerous nut cases with advanced degrees go on and on about the differences in timber, intensity what not between orchestras that tune to 440, 442 and even 438. By the end of each piece, the orchestra is usually somewhere totally different anyways, but they still insist that there is a world of a difference. Yes, there is a difference, very slight. But you can't really tell the difference in "intensity" or whatever they want to label it using a 2 hertz discrepancy.
The only people who can tell the difference are those with absolute pitch, and they probably hear no difference of intensity. Even a mechanical tuner will not necessarily pick it up because, say the piece is in G major and they are tuned to A = 442. If the orchestra is pro and is worth its salt, they will play F# a few hertz higher than in tune, and it will not correspond directly to A = 442.
Just a skeptic who cannot stand the rantings of degree waving busy bodies. Ein Heldenleben, anyone?