[78-L] (no subject)

[Malcolm Smith]

I'm seeing a lot of queries about the playing speed of 78s. It's  
really only in the US that 78 is an at all standard speed. Many  
European electric records are 80 or some other speed. It's my  
understanding that 80 relates to gearing and 50 as opposed to 60  
cycle. Early records are all over the map and to compound the problem  
are not necessarily based on tuning to 440. Also, in most any time,  
string sections of many orchestras are tuned sharp. In the nineteenth  
century, Adelina Patti, in London, had enough clout to suggest that  
she would refuse to perform if pitch wasn't lowered from 465!   
Another problem is pitch changing during the playing of early  
records. Not uncommon. One Russian record I have of a tenor is about  
80 on one side and and the low seventies on the other. It sounds like  
two singers if the speed isn't changed. There are two electric  
records At Yale made in Russia and if I recall correctly, one is  
recorded at 110 and the other at 120! It's also been my experience  
that some lps are at 33 and some at 33 1/3. I have encountered a few  
that are higher or low than these speeds.

There's no easy answer to this. What is a shame is when a CD is  
issued with no effort to copy old records at the right speed. There  
are examples of this.

Malcolm Smith.