David Stewart wrote:

>>It also sounded just a touch flat.  Are they period instruments/slightly
>>flat modern instruments played badly/what?

Wes Crone answered:

>I don't know which instruments were used in the recording Dave.  If,
>however they were period instruments, it is a distinct possibility they
>were tuned to an old system which would have A=415 rather than A=440.

I'm thinking that an overall drop in pitch really shouldn't come across
as "flat" (unless David has perfect pitch, of course).  Personally, I feel
that a particular instrument, or instrument choir is 'flat' only relative
to the immediately preceding music.

It may have more to do with the intonation.  Are they using natural horns,
and are the strings playing "true fifths", and so on? This kind of thing
could sound odd to one not used to it.

Also, in some recordings I have heard the brass sounding clearly out of
tune with the strings and the woodwind.  As temperature rises, (I believe,
but I'm no expert) the strings drop their pitch, while the wind instruments
rise in pitch.  Even the best orchestras have relatively little they can do
about this phenomenon, and it can sound absolutely awful.  That particular
effect has relatively little to do with original instruments.  (Except that
modern violins have those little "adjustors" that baroque violins did not.
I have seen some kids have four of them, one for each string.  I suspect
that they only work with steel strings.  Or perhaps strings players who use
gut string can tune on the fly.)

Anyway, because of their construction, original instruments and their
intonation is often a little different from modern, equal-tempered
intonation.  This is part of their charm, to those who like them, though
it can be occasionally jarring.

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