Klarinet Archive - Posting 000651.txt from 1996/01

From: ncrocker@-----.EDU
Subj: Re: Is that it? Is it all over?
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 19:36:17 -0500

> But that brings me back to the question: What's to discuss? :-)

Why not discuss this? Sure, so most of can agree that improvisation in
performances of Mozart's music is required. How many musicians can *do*
it? How many performances and recordings involve spontaneous
improvisation? As I do a mental inventory of the recordings and
performances I have heard of Mozart's music, I can think of only a few.
I think it's part of playing Mozart correctly. I also think that those
who do it are still in the minority.

It seems to me that somewhere along the line, people stopped improvising,
and with the recent interest in authenticity, the practice is being
revived. Is this true? How do we learn to improvise? If all of us with
half a brain can agree that Mozart REQUIRED improvisation, then why
is it that most musicians don't perform it that way? If it's so
obviously necessary to performance, and not done frequently (or
well) then why shouldn't we discuss it?

Nichelle Crocker

On Fri, 26 Jan 1996, Jonathan Cohler wrote:

>
> Clearly, there are mounds of documentation showing that Mozart REQUIRED
> spontaneous improvisation in virtually everything he wrote. Case closed,
> end of story.
>
> In other words, if you play Mozart without spontaneous improvisations, then
> you are playing it INCORRECTLY. It's the same as playing in the wrong key
> signature, or the wrong rhythm, or the wrong dynamic, or the wrong
> phrasing. It's WRONG.
>
>
> --Jonathan Cohler
> cohler@-----.net
>