If you remember reading William Waterhouse's fine commentary on last year's International Bassoon Competition in Munich, West Germany, you may recall his statements about some factors involved for participants in that competition, "the problems of many to tune with a piano at A - 443 plus," included. Over here, in North America, although all is far from perfect musically and otherwise, we generally agree that our instruments sound most natural when played at the pitch level intended by the manufacturer (wind instruments particularly). Thus we fight with great intensity efforts by conductors or others to force a higher pitch level from the orchestras in which we play, and those at our music schools and conservatories. We could cover pages in discussing the very many arguments in favor of higher than standard tuning. But some minds will never be convinced that "in tune" is the best and most beautiful sound, not "higher, brighter, more shimmering, etc. etc."
Let us say, then, that most of the woodwinds used in North American orchestras today are very comfortable for the players when set to play A - 440 when fully warmed up and when played in a reasonably comfortable concert hall temperature and humidity situation. I have heard various arguments that our halls are always warmer than the temperature mentioned in the International Standard Tuning data: 20 degrees Centigrade (68 degrees Fahrenheit), and that we therefore can "easily" play much higher than A - 440 with our Heckel bassoons. But I cannot agree with this. Firstly, we include in our professional orchestra contracts (union trade agreements) provisions for temperature, humidity, and lighting, with maximums and minimums permissible. Secondly, if the tuning goes very much higher than A - 440, it is always the longest instruments (meaning bassoons, bass clarinets, and contra bassoons) which can raise the pitch only at a much slower rate than can the flutes, oboes, and clarinets with shorter bore to "heat up".
Why then, should European orchestras, so many it seems-- in Germany, France, Austria, and Russia, we know from personal listening experiences--continue to play at a higher pitch level than the International Standard A - 440? Does it make these orchestras sound better??? Would the audiences be less moved or impressed by the music if the pitch of all these orchestras really did come down to a supposedly recognized standard? I doubt it.
Bassoonists have told me that they must use a different reed and vastly shorter bocal to play at home; and when they play chamber music in the United States in the summer or when on tour, what a drastic change (back to normalcy, I might add) they must accomplish in order to play well in tune with their North American colleagues! Looking in the other direction, why should artists who are accustomed to playing naturally at the standard tuning pitch have to chop their reeds and grab double 00 bocals when competing in Europe or when on tour in Europe and encountering a piano (for concerts with orchestra) tuned at its "usual" pitch level - 446 for A?
These above mentioned are real problems being faced by many more performers now than years ago when there was less international travel by the various orchestras and artists.
Once I had the great displeasure of performing a concerto accompaniment in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra with a renowned guest violinist from Russia (still living), who insisted on playing at a pitch level very consistently 1/4-step higher than A - 440 (the average pitch standard of that fine orchestra). The resultant clashes of vibrations throughout the concerto drove nearly all of us up the proverbial "wall." A violin is so easy to tune, down as well as up.
Perhaps the International Double Reed Society, numbering many of the world's finest oboists among its membership, should address itself strongly to this question. A good start would be a seminar discussion on international tuning adjustment problems at the next IDRS Annual Meeting. Also, I would like to see an official letter prepared, to be sent to the organizers of all international musical competitions--not just the ones for wind instruments, but those for voice, keyboard, stringed instruments, and percussion instruments as well, requesting that the standard tuning level of A - 440 be used at all times.
I don't think that any letter would convince the high-pitched orchestras in Europe and their conductors to change to a lower pitch standard. But I do know that a concerted effort to change to A - 440 by the majority of woodwind players of these orchestras, coupled with strong moral support from our leading players--and conductors too, where possible, could bring a long-desired, but never fully-achieved goal of correct tuning to most of the great orchestras of the world.