Posted by Chuck(G) on March 05, 2003 at 19:33:44:
In Reply to: "Low" Pitch posted by ??? on March 05, 2003 at 17:48:25:
You know, if we were having this conversation about a 100 years ago, the question would be "why would anyone make a brass instrument in low pitch?"
Before 1900, most US bands played in "high pitch" A4=457 Hz. (Bb4 is about 466 Hz). After the turn of the century, the decision made by the Vienna Congress in 1887 to adopt A4=435 Hz. as the new "international pitch" caused brass instrument manufacturers to build instruments in both high and low pitch. But before 1900, a US-made horn in A4=435 was definitely an oddity--and is a good contra-indicator of an antique's age.
After about 1930, the "high pitch" tuning was phased out and most instrument manufacturers produced instruments in A4=440. The article below gives a more detailed treatment of the subject as it relates to pianos.