Re: mirafone pitch


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Posted by Klaus on December 03, 2002 at 19:51:15:

In Reply to: mirafone pitch posted by MrKun on December 03, 2002 at 18:06:08:

There might be a few reasons:

It is possible to pull the slides of a 443 instrument, so that it can play fairly perfect in 440. The reverse situation would involve a hacksaw.

Some German orchestras tend to play well above 440. Already 20 or more years ago the BPO visited our radio concert hall with a major piano concert scheduled. However the piano tuner had not been informed, that the orchestra tuned up to a 445 pitch, and that all of its woodwind players had instruments built exactly for that pitch.

The orchestra came late and made no rehearsal with the pianist.

Disaster, disaster at the concert, when the piano entered after a long orchestra introduction. The orchestra did whatever it could to tune down on the fly, but as mentioned the ww's were at a disadvantage. I did not hear the concert itself, but I later on heard a recording of that piano entry.

Exactly this tuning of the BPO ww's was the reason, that their famous soloists rarely were employed as soloists in other countries, as they could not bring their main working axes to play on. At least one of their former soloists, now a world level soloist, has golden flutes tuned for each 1Hz increment between 440 and 445. And platinum flutes for the 3 most common pitches.

Two of the main marching "seasons" in Germany are in the fall and in February/March. If the brasses were pitched to 440 at room temperature, they would go horribly flat compared to the marching Glockenspiels, which actually raise in pitch, when the temperature goes down.

I once subbed as 1st bone in a band, where the cornets were horrible sharp, 446. I could not get my trombone higher than 442 or 443. A no fun situation.

One high class hornmaker has some special pitch ideas, so he builds his horns, so that they can play anywhere between 435 and 448 (I am not positive on the exact numbers). His instruments have slides, that can be pulled very far.

I play 442 on my Conn 26K with the slide all the way in. An equally (or better) skilled player plays 439 on that instrument with a smaller mouthpiece.

Pitch is so much of a problem, that I notice it, when an ensemble is at ease with playing in tune. One of my recent very good experiences in that respect was to listen to the sound clips available on the site linked to below (I do not like the first clip, but that is because the music is bad).

Once more a long posting, and if I have strayed far around the topic. Yet I hope to have demonstrated, that pitch is not a Miraphone specific theme. It is relevant for all instruments of all makes played by any musician.

Klaus



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