Klarinet Archive - Posting 000509.txt from 1995/11

From: B HUDSON <XDPW41A@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Performance practice issues
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 16:17:45 -0500

Dan and others regarding "authoritative practice technique."

With regard to the following and earlier comments regarding "performance
practice," I have been waiting comments from professional musicians before
exposing my impressions as an amateur. However, having been privileged to
discussions on this topic amongst a number of very highly regarded
professional string musicians it seems to me that the issue has a little
more ambiguity surrounding it than Dan's comments might suggest. Certainly
there are conventions as to where grace notes fall with respect to the
beat, as well as traditions of ornamentation that would appear to be
subscribed to with some universality. However, as to Brahms sounding like
Stravinsky or visa versa subject to some little recognized conventions of
"performance practice" as executed by the contemporary graduates of music
schools and conservatories, I would think there would be a substantial
range of opinions among equally qualified so called experts. My only point
in this post is to encourage more discussion on the subject. I personally
am in no position to render a credible opinion of my own.

Bruce Hudson, xdpw41a@-----.com
>Adam inquires about performance
>practice. I may be mistaken but
>I offer the hypothesis that no subject
>has been written about more
>thoroughly (no musical subject that is)
>than the subject of
>performance practice. There have to be
>at least 200 articles and
>50 books on the subject. Neal Zaslaw
>did a volume at least 15
>years ago that was a summary of various
>articles on the subject.

>It is easy to get to read about the
>subject. Some of it is very
>good. Some of it is less so. I don't
>want to comment on which
>is which.

>Just go to your public library and do a
>keyword search on the
>term "Performance Practice." You'll be
>overwhelmed and drowned.

====================================
>Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
>(leeson@-----.edu)
====================================