| Author |
Comment |
sbwaters
Registered User
Posts: 1
(6/26/01 2:26:56 pm)
Reply
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Did YO Yo Ma
tune Bach Suites down whole note?
Hi,
In order to play in tune with Yo Yo Ma's Sony CD of the
first 4 Bach suites (inspired by Bach) I had to tune my cello down a
whole note.
The Prelude to the first suite resonates
beautifully.
Do you suppose his cello was tuned down, that
the CD was electronically played at the lower pitch, or that he used
a cello with a longer neck?
Just curious. Seemed to me he
tuned lower for effect.
regards/a new cello student
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yo
yo jr
Registered
User
Posts: 44
(6/26/01 2:56:14
pm)
Reply
|
yes?
I think he lowers it a whole or half step. I think he did this
because in baroque times their "a" was actually something like (im
pulling this number out of my...) a 436 instead of the 440 or 442
that we know and use today. I don't know the exact # but you get the
idea. I could be wrong and probably am but who knows. Im sure
someone does.
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DWThomas
Registered User
Posts: 359
(6/26/01 3:09:27 pm)
Reply
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Baroque
Pitch
Baroque pitch standards can always be good for a
longer-than-Krispy-Kreme thread, but ...
Many early music
groups play at A415 which is a full semitone below A440. I believe
I've heard or read that's what Ma used.
Many fixed scale
instruments such as recorders are available at A415, so today it's
one of several "standards" whether it ever was before or not. 
Some folks are exploring A392 and A466 and beyond for
clavichords and harpsichords. Back several centuries, practically
every city/state had its own pitch standard. Sometimes more than
one. Unaltered organ pipes, flutes, and recorders, etc. provide some
evidence. But there were no recordings or Seiko tuner settings to
provide sure descriptions.
Dave, occasional twiddler/tuner of
a harpsichord
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Laura
Wichers
Moderator
Posts: 1016
(6/26/01 3:29:56 pm)
Reply
|
Re: Baroque
Pitch
Mr. Thomas, I do believe you are the board's official Jack of All
Trades. You should try out for Jeopardy! Or maybe one of those wacky
new "trivia" shows if you dare.
Oh, and your challah recipe
is EXCELLENT.
Laura
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DWThomas
Registered User
Posts: 360
(6/26/01 4:03:19 pm)
Reply
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Re[2]: Baroque
Pitch
Jack of All Trades, Master of None! 
Glad you liked the challah!
The latest baking was a
sourdough rye - but that's more like a lifestyle than a recipe  It starts
with feeding the sour 48 hours ahead -- which at present severely
taxes what passes for long range planning here at the Bakery &
Asylum.
Dave
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TerryM
Registered
User
Posts: 439
(6/26/01 5:37:36
pm)
Reply
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Re: Re[2]:
Baroque Pitch
Dave I would like to hear more about your harpsichord and your
sourdough rye recipe. Good rye bread is hard to come by and
sourdough rye sounds even better.
Many years ago I built a
harpsichord from a kit. It took many months to complete, but was
pretty decent in the end. I ended up trading it for the cello I
presently own. My harpsichord and my old cello and bow for my
present cello. Is yours a one or two manual harpsichord? Tuning my
harpsichord really helped me to develop an ear for pitch and beats
and all that good stuff. Now I can tune my grand piano with good
success.
Terry
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yo
yo jr
Registered
User
Posts: 45
(6/26/01 5:39:14
pm)
Reply
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wow i was really
off with that 436 geuss! haha
(This message was left blank)
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Laura
Wichers
Moderator
Posts: 1017
(6/26/01 8:16:05 pm)
Reply
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Re: Re[2]:
Baroque Pitch
I'll have to try it when I get home (I'm here at Encore until early
August). One of my things this summer with a friend of mine is to
search out the best Rueben in all of Detroit. So far, the Onion Roll
is winning (in case any of you are
Rueben-meisters).
Laura
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David
Sanders
Registered
User
Posts: 607
(6/26/01 10:10:37
pm)
Reply
|
Re: Re[2]:
Baroque Pitch
How about Zingerman's in Ann Arbor?
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Laura
Wichers
Moderator
Posts: 1021
(6/27/01 6:46:45 am)
Reply
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Re: Re[2]:
Baroque Pitch
Their roast beef is right up there (and the olive selection is darn
good), but I haven't had a chance to try their Rueben. In August for
sure. Oh, did you know they have a website? You can have Zingerman's
DELIVERED!! http://www.zingermans.com/
Laura
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DWThomas
Registered User
Posts: 362
(6/27/01 7:07:26 am)
Reply
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Re: Harpsichord,
with a rye smile
Well, you can see the harpsichord at ourworld.compuserve.com/h...hpschd.htm
It's a single manual Flemish built from a Zuckermann kit. I
refused to keep a record of the time spent, but it was definitely
not a trivial project. I'm afraid I'm about as proficient at playing
it as I am at the cello, but I built it and it does play. It could
probably use new plectra if I run out of projects here.
As to
the rye bread, I'll have to go thru my notes and post something on
my bread page. The last 3 or 4 weeks I was playing with ratios of
rye to wheat -- the first, mostly rye, was "pretty robust" 
I
used some of my long-established wheat starter to kick off a rye
starter. That has to be reduced and fed a few times to fully
develop, then the fun begins. Once you have an established starter,
you still have to start the process about two days ahead of when you
want finished loaves.
I took three loaves of it to an art
club picnic and it was snarfed up with considerable enthusiasm.
(Along with two other varieties.)
Dave
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TerryM
Registered
User
Posts: 440
(6/27/01 11:12:39
am)
Reply
|
Re: Harpsichord,
with a rye smile
Beautiful job Dave! That is the same kit I built, but I was not
brave enough to do all that wonderful painting. It really gives it
an 'authentic' look. I remember getting around to the plectra
cutting stage and as I added keys, I spent more time playing than
working on it. As a result the last octaves on the bottom and top
took some time to complete. I remember spending many hours tuning it
and experimenting with various non-tempered tuning formats. Great
sound, but it really limited you to certain keys. I wanted to build
the two manual kit that was put out by Frank Hubbard at that time,
but it was out of my price range. Now, any such project is out of my
'energy' range.
Terry
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sarah
schenkman
Registered
User
Posts: 411
(6/27/01 11:33:30
am)
Reply
|
Dave - love your
website..
I'm into baking bread and gardening also.
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