Ah, here's the beginning of what looks to be the likely story. Through the
centuries ensembles have become both larger and louder. Instruments that
where originally used in small groups in intimate settings had to adapt.
Viols gave way to violins, bows changed form, mouthpieces changed on wind
instruments, gut strings were replaced with harder materials, and
particularly in the case of harps, string tension increased. As most
anyone with large ensemble experience can tell you, pitches rise when the
music gets louder, and as time goes by, instruments are built/adapted to
follow. Thus the modern concert pedal harp, which must project over an
orchestra that may exceed 90 instruments in a hall seating 3000, sounds
better at a higher tuning than the various baroque harps, which usually
only played in small groups with an audience of 30 using light stringing.
*As an aside, while the concert harp is fairly versatile, I prefer most
chamber music on harps built for chamber settings (and early music on pedal
harp makes me wince - probably too much music history I suppose). Modern
pedal harps, early harps, and folk harps (both modern and historical) are
all differing instruments, each with their strengths, weaknesses and most
appropriate repertiores. Experiment, play various types of music on
different harps and in different styles. It's fun and you'll learn a lot
and end up appreciating the variety that harp players have available to
them that most other instrumentalists can't even imagine.*
As someone else noted (sorry, I forgot who), the pitch escalation continues
today; several major orchestras in Europe and North America now routinely
tune to A442. Who knows where it will be a century or two from now?
Jim
Shop Slave,
Silverwood Harps
*** Jim Caldwell, jcaldwll@oregon.uoregon.edu ***