New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-02
MITSIC AND THE DRAMA.
rIrS1CAI, PITCH AN IMPORTANT
The CHANGE.

orchestras after the adoptoh Oh tue ieloi"o" va"
,.son bv so many of the leading musical orgsn']'-
t;or. ,f Europe, but efforts to correct the abuse
- have always failed in consequence OF the lack
- r.,oopized authority 10 lead the way When
A. ,raat organ in the Boston Music Hall was built
:, was timed TO the low pitch, and the Harvard
C,mnhony Orchestra was supplied with new wind
,strnments To match. but efficient measures
.aem 10 have been taken to accustom the men 10 thc
change. and they could not be induced to adopt H.
At the opera for several years past tho low p'cn
has been in use the alteration being enforced oy ne
prima donna: but while tn" members oil Tue
orchestra are required 10 play in the low pich io'
abont sixty nights IN the year and in the high ptch
oil the rest of the time it is evil lent that they can
not do themselves justice in either. 80 Ittie
attention is commonly paid to operate orchestras
here that few know whether they play well OF III
Generally they play very III indeed.
At last the much needed reform is to ne '"Ae"
hold of by an organization which has the power 70
CORY Y ont IL is substantially agreed tha' ID a
GO aavs the New York philharmonic Society shaI
formally adopt the new pitch: and as TINS diS'in-
gpshed body of musicians is admitted 10 be iar anu
away the first CT American orchestras' ana one VI
the first of ell existing orchestras IL Will sPoaA
,;tb an authority not to be lightly questioned us
members constitute the most valuable portion Vi ii
aoosonal erchestras in this city. and the nucleus
Tho CHI a
Iii b.come necessary for other players TO follow
,baie example Concert pianos will have 10 be
ID. ,t once in the new pitch, aud general low
-, of the scale will then naturally ensue. "Con-
-, ritchu will thus come to have an entirely
a;aorant meaning from that which the phrase now
bars The change in the orchestra is not IN cOhse-
cnence of any sudden resolve many OF the Leading
nerformers having had the new instruments III
tbei, possession for some time; but after the de-
cree has cone forth a reasonable delay Will DO
granted for Others to accommodate themselves 10
the change A day will be fixed, not later thah
the spring for the reform TO go into ehect. IL Is
understood that no alteration OF the Old wlnd III
strnm.nts will be tolerated; set must he pro-
cured The strings of course. can be tuned down :
hut some alterations will doubt ultimately be
found advisable in them also. in the thickness Oh
.be strings the size of the bridge, etc. The dlcul-
tics To he overcome are serious. All players upon
wind instruments acquire individual peculibrities
of embouchure, of blowing, of lingering; whlch are
governed TO sOue extent by pecullarlteS III the IN
strument itself A clarinet basSoou, NORM OF
,Thatnot has a character OF its Owl which must DC
hnmored Certain notes for example arc Imperfect
and must be corrected by fatting or by iVrciuathe
tone Certain sounds must be coaxed' certain
others must be driven. Two instruments appaf-
entity exactly alike from the shop of the same
Hence it Is impossible for good performer to pro-
duce really fine effects upon strange instrument,
and when he is required to give up one to which he
has been accustomed tor twenty or thirty years ana
N learn the idiosyncrases of another OF different
pitch, he will al frstsbe at a loss.
The advantages of the change, however. are
great enough to justify much more Trouble man Tue
society is likely encounter in the operation. lt
il obvious if there is really difference IN the
characteristics of the keys, as musicians contehu'
that we ought 10 play every thing in the pitch 1or
which it Is written Now 1t is pretty we'll ascer-
tanned that the ordinary pitch OF the Classical
period of Beethoven. Mozart and their contempt
raries was about a seml-tone below that of our
rresept orchestras The raising of the has been
Gradual and has resulted FROM various causes chief
Of which perhaps Is the tendency of modern music
towar2 passionate expression. Quartet-players are
aware that as a. violinist becomes strenuous he Is
ant instinctvsy aid unconsciously TO become sharp
and hence i, is that in chamber-uusic where the
intensity of feeling among the performers Is IN
eoual the piece often ends in dlscord though the
instruments are really in tune. parallel process
of raising the pitch instructive but NOT uncoh-
scious has been going on among the makers OF
wind Instruments which acquire by this process
certain increased intensity. though they lose
delcacy. The manufacturers of pianos are some
rivalry for the production of a brilliant tone; but
the responsibility belongs rather to the orchestra,
which has governed and will continue TO govern
the pitch of the piano. Unfortunately the human
voice 10 unable to extend its compass TO keep up
with the orchestra. and in many classical works the
singers are now subjected to rulnous strain winch
the composer never meant to lay upon THEM.
European artists visiting this country ind them
selves tasked much more severely than they are
at home and the Inconvenience sometimes amounts
to a very serious trouble. Moreover there Is some
valuable instrumental music Of the classical period
which cannot be executed by orchestras OF the high
pitch Bach is absolutely impractcable wihout
numerous notifications; and that so much
attention is paid 10 the masterpieces OF the older
classical school, the reduction of the pitch becomes
a matter of prime Importance. The commission
appointed by the French Government III 1853
adopted as the normal diapason scale in which
c Of the treble is fixed at 522 vibrations lequiva-
lent 10 5l7 by equal temperament, and this CORE
spends very nearly with what may be called the
classical pitch" and also with the philosophical
pitch assumed upon mathematical principles in
many theoretical works. The reformed German
pitch is almost identical with the French; practl-
cally il may be called the same; and this is the
standard TO which our Philharmonic pitch is to be
cOnfOrmed.
Some of our readers may be curious to know how
the difference will strike them when the whole
orchestra is lowered about semtOne. Probably 1t
will not strike them at all Yet there will be
great difference. The tone of the band will gain in
fulness solidty, dignity sOftness and refinement;
and undoubtedly, if should &c back after awhile
to the present pitch, we should find 1t coarse and
strident.
MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC NOTES.
William Warren has made a marked hit. as
Mr. Ledger in The Parvenue" which is now III posses
sion OF the Boston Museum stage.