Posted by Kenneth Sloan on August 28, 2002 at 10:03:53:
This is a question about conductor's strategies for tuning an ensemble. I'm primarily interested in comments from the conductor's point of view.
I play for one conductor who always seems to be putting my tuning slide at peril. Last night, I decided to experiment, so I brought along a tuner and put it on my stand. Sure enough, when the tuner was centered (any instrument), his comment was "a bit high". When *my* tuner said "20 cents flat", he said "perfect". I don't know for sure, but I believe he was consulting a tuner on *his* stand.
Was his tuner broken? Was my tuner broken? Was he anticipating that everyone would inevitably drift sharp? Was his tuner set for A=435???
I must say that he does seem to have us well trained. No one's initial tuning note attempt was frankly *sharp* (according to my tuner). About 75% were 20 cents flat - the others were "in tune" (with my tuner..."a bit high" from the podium)
If it matters, while he generally tunes from the bottom up, I detect a concern that everyone match with the clarinets.