Chopin’s Tuning
Tableau A.
| Origine. | Nombre de vibrations par seconde. |
Distances au diapason de l’Opéra de Paris |
|
| mesurées en vibrations. |
mesurées en fractions de ton moyen. |
France. | |
| Lille | 904 | + 8,0 | + 0,077 |
| Paris – Grand-Opéra –> | 896 | ||
| Paris – Théâtre-Italien –> | 896 | ||
| Marseille | 894 | – 2,0 | – 0,019 |
| Bordeaux | 886 | – 10,0 | – 0,096 |
| Toulouse (Théâtre) | 885 | – 11,0 | – 0,106 |
| Toulouse (Conservatoire) | 874 | – 22,0 | – 0,210 |
| Pays Étrangers. | |||
| Bruxelles (Musique de guides) | 911 | + 15,0 | + 0,144 |
| Londres N0 3 | 910,4 | + 14,4 | + 0,138 |
| Londres NO 2 | 905 | + 9,0 | + 0,087 |
| Berlin | 903,5 | + 7,5 | + 0,072 |
| Saint-Pétersbourg | 903 | + 7,0 | 0,067 |
| Prague | 899,5 | + 3,5 | + 0,034 |
| Leipsick | 897,5 | + 1,5 | + 0,014 |
| Munich | 896,5 | + 0,2 | + 0,002 |
| La Hay | 892,3 | – 3,7 | – 0,035 |
| Pesth | 892 | – 4,0 | – 0,038 |
| Turin | |||
| Wurtemberg | 889,5 | – 6,5 | – 0,086 |
| Brunswick | |||
| Gothin | 887 | – 9,0 | |
| Stuttgard | 874 | ||
| Dresde | 886 | – 10,0 | – 0.096 |
| Carisruhe | 882 | – 14,0 | – 0,134 |
| Londres (N0 1) | 870 | – 26,0 | – 0,250 |
| 868 | – 28,0 | – 0,269 | |
Tableau A. is a recreation of the same table found in France. Auteur du texte. Gazette nationale ou le Moniteur universel. 1859-02-25. The formatting has been slightly altered for clarity.
The survey presented in Tableau A was conducted by the Commission du Diapason, a committee established to determine a standardized pitch for musical tuning in France. The goal was to address inconsistencies in tuning across orchestras and institutions by proposing a uniform diapason of 870 Hz, = A5. The data reflects responses from musicians, composers, orchestras, conservatories, and other musical professionals. The majority supported the adoption of 435 Hz, citing its balance between tonal clarity and ease of performance. However, some dissenting voices, particularly among vocalists, raised concerns about the impact on vocal strain, while a few respondents preferred slightly higher or lower pitches. The survey highlights both the broad consensus and the challenges of implementing a national tuning standard.