Posted by Joe S. on July 11, 1999 at 09:56:35:
In Reply to: Re: A = ? posted by Harry Critchley on July 11, 1999 at 08:37:31:
Loree oboes, French-made and the seemingly preferred brand in the U.S., seem to "ride up" above a=440 in pitch, but I think many American oboists have taught themselves to make reeds to partially counteract this. An American-made oboe, the Laubin (preferred and played in the New York Philharmonic and many other orchestras), plays lower. Most oboists' first reactions to the pitch on a Laubin oboe is "Whoa -- a440 is it, isn't it?", as they are actually much more accustomed to the higher tendencies of the Loree oboes.
Why did I post this? >>> Who do we tune to at the commencement of our rehearsals and performances, and who do we continue to "key off of" through the rest of the activity?: usually the principal oboist. Often, the oboist (many, many of them Loree players) will offer a "perfect" (electronically monitored) A=440 for the original tuning notes. After that, some of them seem to follow the tendencies of their instruments and play a little sharper when their electronic tuners are put away.