"A" refers to the note, typically sounded before a rehearsal or concert, to which all instruments are tuned; in Baroque music Philharmonia musicians tune their A to 415 Hz or Hertz, which refers to the number of cycles per second. On a modern piano this pitch would sound like A-flat, or a half-step lower than usual.
- Is Baroque pitch higher or lower?
- How much lower is Baroque tuning?
- What is the frequency of baroque music?
- What tuning did Vivaldi use?
Is Baroque pitch higher or lower?
In the Baroque Era, pitch levels as high as A-465 (17th century Venice) and as low as A-392 (18th century France) are known to have existed. A few generalizations can be made: pitch was high in North Germany and lower in South Germany. pitch was low in Rome but high in Venice.
How much lower is Baroque tuning?
Those who adhere to "period performances" practices generally tune their violins to a lower pitch that is thought to be more in line with the pitch actually used in the Baroque era: an "A" that is 415 hertz -- much lower.
What is the frequency of baroque music?
Many modern ensembles which specialize in the performance of Baroque music have agreed on a standard of A = 415 Hz. An exact equal-tempered semitone lower than 440 Hz would be 415.30 Hz; this is rounded to the nearest integer.
What tuning did Vivaldi use?
Scordatura was much used by composers for viola d'amore, violin and cello, including J. S. Bach, Biber, Vivaldi, Ariosti, Vilsmayr, and others in compositions for violin during the early 18th century.