How long should an organ/harpsichord be in its performance space prior to playing?
a. A harpsichord adjusts rather quickly unless conditions are extreme. The lights of the stage may do more to change the pitch than the change of environment. An organ, on the other hand, is very sensitive to temperature, and it takes a long time for the interior of the pipes to adjust to a new temperature. The wind does not blow through them. They are resonating chambers and need several hours to come to pitch for absolute stability. Even then factors such as the lights and the audience will change the room temperature. Organ pitch rises with warmth; harpsichord pitch drops as the strings relax in the heat.
