Although musical notes have stayed the same on paper, have they always sounded the same?

For example, would someone who was brought up in an isolated (but musical) culture, be able to identify a middle C if it was played on a properly tuned instrument? Are musical notes like language and subject to evolution and interpretation throughout generations?

Although musical notes have stayed the same on paper, have they always sounded the same?soap opera

Musical pitch has fluctuated throughout history. Current international pitch: A=440 Hertz was adopted only in 1939.

Many symphony orchestras, for example, tune a bit high: 441 or 442.

In 17th century France, the pitch was as low as A=390. That's about tone below modern pitch. Bach played most of his life around A=415 but there is evidence from his compositions that some pieces were performed with instruments of varying pitches. In other words, the performer had to transpose his part in order to match the rest of the orchestra.

In Tudor England, the pitch was about a minor third higher than modern pitch. This does not pose a problem for instrumental music but much choral music must be raised for modern performance.

I am currently preparing to record a compact disc for harpsichord and piano solo. The harpsichord will be tuned at approximately A=415. The piano at approx. A=440.

That's a quick and narrow answer to your question. In addition to your specific question, not only has pitch changed but temperament (the relationship between the pitches of the scale) has also.

In addition, the twelve note diatonic scale which is normal to European culture (and its descendants) is not universal. For example, the pentatonic scale has only five notes per octave and there are scales in some parts of Asia and Africa that have many more pitches per octave than we do.

Finally, rhythmic meanings and relationships have changed throughout history. The relationship between a quarter note and an eighth note is not always the same.

To make a linguistic analogy, I can't tell you how to pronounce a word such a "lieutenant" until I know whether you want to pronounce it in British/Canadian English, American English, French or German.

Cheers,

Richard Birney-Smith

Dundas, Ontario, Canada

birney-smith@cogeco.ca

Although musical notes have stayed the same on paper, have they always sounded the same?city opera opera theater

The agreement of the two cultures' pitches would depend on whether they had a reference pitch to which they had been tuning, whether those reference pitches were the same and whether they would change over time.

The current standard for tuning is A440 (which means that the note "A" is tuned to the frequency 440hz). This standard wasn't adopted as a standard in America until 1925.

So I guess the shorthand answer to your 1st question is "not likely".
that someone who was brought up in an isolated culture probably won't be able to say, "Oh! That is a middle C!" because he doesn't know what our middle C is. it could be called differently in his culture.

the two answers up there ^

^

are very detailed. i'm just here to assure you that those answers are well researched and you, no doubt, have found that answer to your question.

music definitely evolved from the Middle Ages. back then, harmonies were played in fifths. think of the jig-like music that the knights and kings and queens of the dirty castles listened to.

the music back then was played in fifths.

then, harmonies were played in thirds (which was much more pleasing to the ear) after the Middle Ages. so that is one example of music evolving...