The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-23
STANDARD MUSICAL PITCH.
standard Adopted by Tho American Plnno
Man nfAGtnrcIs' Association.

standard Adopted by tho American Piano
nnfHGtnreIs' Association.
Al a great many OF tho musical public Of
Helena have questioned me in the past
about the new musical pitch" | will on
dsavor TO give some light OF the subject
since tho pitch question has finally been
settled. At a nesting held in Nav York,
Nov. q, 1891, the relort OF the committee
has been adoptedkand u unanimous support
granted Of tho standard Of A435 double VI
brations per second at G8 degrees Fahrsn-
heit. Grent credit IL due to Presid Ont VIM.
Steinway and Secretary Levi X. Fuller, the
latter having the grentest knowledge OF
pitch In America. Pitch hos been \ CON
fusion up to the present date. In l7bl
Handel usod q pitch Of A422.5. Wagner
used C522. Adelins Patti in her
American concert tonr used C52O.5. At their
concerts between 1919 and 1920
tho Philharmonic orchestra Of Lon
don used A423.5. Ths pitch of this or
ganization between 1898 and 1s45 was
A433.2. In 1886 Sir Michael Costa became
tho leader and he pushed up the pitch to
tho remarkable height Of A454.7. whore it
has remained ever since with 4 slight down
ward tendency in latter years.
There wore thirty different pitches in
America in 1880 rsaching from Kosnig
physical pitch of C256.l to that Of the New
York high pitch Of C273.9; Of sll the tun.
ing forks Of Boston and vicinity that Of
C26B.5 is undoubtedly the standard. The
New York philharmonic society use C27O.
The Steinwaya possess q fork Of C272.2 and
A455.9, which would be still higher than
the Philharmonic society Of London under
Sir Michael Costo. The highest forks in
use are a. follows: In Nav Pork C274i,
L~eominstsr. MASS, C55O, Philadelphia
C547.S, Baltimore A456.1 ], Bridgeport, Conn,
ASST.
Mason & lfamlin Organ company use
C2b9, Estsy Organ company. C26l: Pipe
organ manufacturers pse A4a5. Adelina
Patti ana Mrs. Nilsson refused to sing on
several occasions on account Of high pitch.
In 1877 at London Wagner protested
against conducting an orchestra at A455. l.
In 1885 the New York Philharmonic society
adopted the standard of A435 for their or
chestra. This example Was followed by
tie Boston symphony orchestra, Theodore
Music Teachers association Of the United
States resolved to expel all pianos from
their concerts not tuned to A435. The Amor
lean College of Music adopted the same.
The National League of Musicians which
has important locals in forty-eight cities of
have adopted this low pitch of ABB. The
Paris conservatory of music has AS7O sim
gle or A435 double vibration, which equals
C517.3. Eighteen hundred commercial
tuning forks of the standard pitch have
been ordered from Valentine " Carr, Shell
field, England. to supply the trade.
Rudolph Koenig, of Paris, has been re-
commended for piano makers' tuning
forks. These forks will all bear al inter
national trade mark.
The new standard pitch Of A435 will be
adopted by piano makers on July l. 1892.
This will be a great relief to all interested
to know that this pitch nuisance has finally
been settled and will be adopted through
out the entire civilized world.
j. Fl. ZIMMERMAN.
Helena, Nov. q.