Why are orchestras tuned differently?

Question

In 1936 American Standards Association (and the International Organization for Standardization in 1955) accepted that A would be tuned at 440 Hz (or cycles per second). Yet despite the fact that a standard has been accepted, orchestras frequently deviate from this standard.

The San Francisco Symphony (reportedly) tunes to 441 or 442 Hz
The Boston Symphony Orchestra (reportedly) tunes to 444 Hz
The New York Philharmonic (reportedly) tunes to 443 Hz
and The Berlin Philharmonic (reportedly) tunes to 445 Hz

I know there's a tendency for some European countries to tune to 442 Hz and German orchestras are among others who tune to 445 Hz. But what makes an orchestra choose one of these numbers? Who makes the decision, the orchestra's leaders/committee or the conductor? What is the point of making this distinction? Why, after standardizing a tuning system, go to the trouble of changing it by so slight a degree?

(For the sake of this question, let's not take into account period instruments or ensembles which are famously tuned to anything from 415 Hz to 490 Hz)

Answer 1

It is often a matter of tradition inside the orchestra that becomes out of control for conductors.

When they create their own orchestra they have the pleasure to decide this for themselves.

The conservatism from musicians has several reasons:

• Some Orchestra have a concert hall with a large organ which is tuned for this frequency

• Wind players usually complain because refitting a wind instrument to a central tune can be expensive and dangerous. They have a certain capacity of adjusting the tone by technique and with wood especially they have to do it anyway because of temperature and moisture during a concert but it is easier to start from the reference they know.

• First players, old members and conductors with absolute pitch complain and use this as a power mean.

• An established orchestra's staff changes only gradually. New musicians are hired a few at a time.

• Musicians passing job interviews know about it and comply to get hired.

Answer 2

Orchestras tune higher if they can get away with it because higher pitches sound more brilliant. This has led to inflation of standard pitch over time. There are, however, practical limits to how much inflation is possible, since audiences will cry foul if the result is closer to the next semitone up. Also, some instruments, such as pianos, can be damaged if drastically retuned on a whim, and others, such as glockenspiels, cannot be easily retuned at all.

Answer 3

As a brassplayer, 442 on up seriously sucks. We are placed in the position of playing where the instrument doesn't resonate in the same way. Even 4 cents difference will render the slides too long even if the open instrument can be accomodated to a higher tuning frequency. Fie on brighter tuning!

Answer 4

It's interesting to note that before the standardization onto A=440 in the 1910-1930 period, orchestral woodwind and brass players had to own two sets of instruments, one of which could be tuned to the lower standard pitch, and one of which could be tuned to the higher standard pitch. That's the only way they could get work with different orchestras who chose different standard pitches.

This is off-topic, but I know a bassoonist who has two different Baroque basoons, one that will accommodate A=392 and one that will accommodate A=415. I presume that she also has a modern bassoon for A=440. Consider that these instruments cost in the neighborhood of US $20,000 to $30,000 each.

Answer 5

I can't speak for all of the orchestras on that list, but I can at least offer independent hearings of the rumors about the BSO tuning to A = 444.

(This came up in a discussion with my voice teacher of the challenges when I was grumbling about being able to hit high notes more easily if the pitch standard were lower!)

At any rate, she also mentioned that for many years, the orchestra has tuned to A = 444 rather than A = 440. The specific reason offered for this was that this gave the brass instruments a fuller, "brighter" sound. (I think this is in part due to the greater amount of French music the BSO was known for compared to other US orchestras, and the predominance they gave to brass instruments.) Of course, this comes at the expense of making it much harder on vocalists, who have to work that much harder to hit their high notes.