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From: kent@anduin.ocf.llnl.gov (Kent Crispin)
Newsgroups: comp.music
Subject: Re: Transposing early music (was: Perfect Pitch)
Keywords: standard pitch
Message-ID: <803@llnl.LLNL.GOV>
Date: 22 Mar 91 21:56:17 GMT
References: <1991Mar19.082948.10987@athena.mit.edu> <3722@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP> <1991Mar20.154120.24561@eng.umd.edu> <31234@usc>
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In article <31234@usc> alves@calvin.usc.edu (William Alves) writes:
>
>The theory that standard pitch has shifted slowly upward over the years is
>an oft-repeated myth. There was no standard pitch in Handel's time, nor 
>really until the twentieth century. Studies of pitch references from 17th,
>18th, and 19th centuries have revealed that A could be as much as a minor
>third sharp OR flat of 440. If you did take an average, it would probably
>come out to about 440.

I don't know about the studies that you mention, but literature that I
got from a harpsichord manufacturer (Hubbard) states that tuning an old
harpsichord to A440, using the wire they used then, is impossible, 
because the wire DOES break.  They (and other manufacturers) recommend
that the instument be tuned to A415.  Many present day instruments are
built with a "transposing keyboard" -- the keyboard shifts right a half
step.  This is so you can play at concert pitch if you desire to.  Since
early instrument makers could have easily have shifted their keyboards
if they wanted to, I think there is some truth to the myth.  Early 
keyboard instruments were clearly manufactured within limits that
make our current standard pitch impossible.