Many 78s were recorded at speeds above and, more often, below 78.26.  

This wild card makes such comparisons questionable.

Steve Smolian

-----Original Message----- 
From: Richard L. Hess 
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2015 9:18 AM 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] A-440, was speaking of pitch 

Getting back on topic, my son Robert, the music student, passed on this 
link to me--I don't think that I had mentioned this thread but we had 
been talking about variations in recordings (specifically in regards to 
Dvorak's New World Symphony (9th now after renumbering)).

So here are the opening chords of Beethoven's Eroica (3rd) Symphony, 
recorded between 1924 and 2011.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnhlQUBsd6g

And here is a similar compilation of a short section from Stravinsky's 
Rite of Spring from 1921-2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2TGRtUu8xw

Yes, I know that the recording technology influences the pitch as much 
as the actual playing, but, overall, I think these two are very 
informative peeks into the degree of variation considered "normal."

The first Toscanini performance of the Beethoven really shows off the 
dry acoustic of what I assume to be Studio 8H at 30 Rock...and perhaps 
why, in 20/20 hindsight, it wasn't such a good idea,  though it seemed 
to make sense at the time.

As an aside, my friend the late Dr. Gerre Hancock, after bringing the 
choir of Men and Boys from St. Thomas Church to ABC TV-2 studio on W 
66th Street in NYC for a holiday season appearance on "Good Morning 
America" asked me why I built studios that sounded like "pillow factories."

Get out your tuners or pitch pipes and enjoy! If you have perfect pitch 
and are offended easily, please don't listen <smile>.

Cheers,

Richard
-- 
Richard L. Hess                   email: [log in to unmask]
Aurora, Ontario, Canada                             647 479 2800
http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.