A History of Performing Pitch

Download or read book A History of Performing Pitch written by Bruce Haynes and published by Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 638 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Haynes (U. of Montreal) traces the history of musical pitch standards over the last four centuries, linking frequency values to pitch names and telling where, when, and why various pitch levels have been used. With a focus on Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the Hapsburg lands, he covers the pitches of about 1,400 historical instruments and how the design and function influenced and were influenced by changes in pitch. In addition, he studies the effect of pitch differences on musical notation and choice of key. The author has also written a book on the oboe, the instrument that plays the "A" to which a symphony orchestra tunes. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR