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Have you seen the following video? While not solely American orchestras and spanning a long period of time in order to prove a different point, it somewhat relates to your question(s). IT also helps compare various recordings in a short period of time. (As close to side by side as we can get.)

PMeuph wrote: IT also helps compare various recordings in a short period of time.

Mmmm, not as far as pitch standards are concerned, at least not to any reliable extent. Motor-driven recording (up 'til about 1990) wasn't awfully exact, so this isn't really a realistic basis for comparison.

What caught my ear though, was the variety of tympani playing: a whole range of pitch and timing flaws, just in two notes!. That's (most) tympanists for you though, at least in my experience.

The differences in early-era recordings are certainly affected by differences in mastering/playback speeds. But anything past the 1980's should have accurate speeds unless they're deliberately sped up to fit more in a given space, and anything in the digital recording era should be totally faithful. Wow.

Hey Bloke,
At his 2010 ITEC masterclass, Warren Deck mentioned that he would specifically try to tune low (and the flute/piccs would tune high) so that there would be "space" in the intonation. Sounds like what you are talking about... I mentioned it briefly in my write up of said masterclass: http://www.iteaonline.org/members/journ ... ec2010.php" target="_blank

just FYI, hope it helps with your theory.

--T. J.

Are you talking about the pitch at the begining, middle or end of the rehearsal/concert?

Ed Jones wrote:Are you talking about the pitch at the begining, middle or end of the rehearsal/concert?

Where's that LIKE button?

Mark wrote:

Ed Jones wrote:Are you talking about the pitch at the begining, middle or end of the rehearsal/concert?

Where's that LIKE button?

Me, too!

To further illustrate variability, see this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_pitch" target="_blank

Ace

T. J. Ricer wrote: I mentioned it briefly in my write up of said masterclass: http://www.iteaonline.org/members/journ ... ec2010.php" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Waaaah: paywall. I'm sho nuff not (re)joining just for that!

The oboe tunes high, the strings like the extra projection. I tuned closer to 440, thus the equivalent of "stretch bass" (which the MD not only noticed, but preferred!).

Intonation was always good and consistent (you wouldn't have people subbing with Philly, New York, Baltimore otherwise... )