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Classical Music

Lionel Mandrake

(4,140 posts) Mon Jul 22, 2019, 12:25 PM Jul 2019

How does an orchestra tune for a piano concerto? [View all]

A piano sounds best when the octaves are stretched, so that high notes are perhaps 20 cents sharp, and low notes 20 cents flat, compared to tuning such that an octave is a doubling of frequency. So I'm wondering whether either the orchestra or the piano tuner makes some sort of compromise in its tuning during a performance of a piano concerto. If not, then the bassoon and piccolo, for example, would be noticeably out of tune with the piano.

9 replies

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How does an orchestra tune for a piano concerto? [View all] Lionel Mandrake Jul 2019 OP

The concertmaster steps forward, plays a DMinor chord on the piano stopbush Jul 2019 #1

I went out with a piano tuner and learned no_hypocrisy Jul 2019 #3

In greater detail: Lionel Mandrake Jul 2019 #4

Standard A440 sdfernando Jul 2019 #6

That's unfortunate but interesting! Lionel Mandrake Jul 2019 #7

You can look at the webpages for insturment manufacturers to see this in action sdfernando Jul 2019 #8

I did the math and found Lionel Mandrake Jul 2019 #9

Thank you. Lionel Mandrake Jul 2019 #5

Thank you empedocles Jul 2019 #2