Klarinet Archive - Posting 000367.txt from 1996/03

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: The Dan and Dan show!!
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 15:37:30 -0500

Dan Paprocki and I are having a good discussion on a matter of disagreement
between us. There is nothing personal involved. I enjoy very much hearing
his views. I hope that he enjoys hearing mine even if we should present
anti-polar positions. Now to work.

Dan suggests many things, but let me take them one at a time, perhaps even
in separate notes.

An important part of Dan's note, taking up a big percentage of the total note,
was that person x thinks that solo y should be done on clarinet z because
it sounds better, or is easier to play, or some other reason that sounds
perfectly reasonable on its presentation.

I used to hear reasons like that all the time. Once during a performance of
the Mozart C minor serenade with the bassoonist Loren Glickman in New York,
I tounged a passage of Alberti bass eighth notes rather than slurring them
as was traditional to be done. I knew exactly what the autograph in
Mozart's hand said; I was doing what the edition in front of my face
said.

Loren (who was playing the Mozart C minor when I was in knickers) stopped
the rehearsal as asked me to slur the passage. I should have shut up.
Instead I said that I was executing the part as it was written. At which
point Loren said, "Slur them. It sounds better." End of story.

In effect, Loren was signing Mozart's name to his speculations. I don't
know if the part sounds better or worse my way, and it doesn't matter.
It doesn't make one right to opine that something dones this way sounds
better, or is easier to play, than that way. And the reason why it
makes no sense is that another person can come back with exactly the
opposite opinion and who is to say, "Nay!"?

The bottom line is that the collection of glorious players that you
mentioned (and not one belongs anywhere except in the Pantheon of
clarinetistry) offered anything more than their opinion on how to
do something.

Marcellus is an excellent case in point. One of the most gifted
players of the last 75 years at least, a joy to hear, a truly
magnificent player. All of these things and more. And who is to
say that his opinion that this way is better than that way is
correct?

An analogous example: once during a performance of the Gran Partitta,
the conductor hired a contrabassoon as the bass voice. I inquired
why a contra rather than a string bass (hopefully not arrogantly)
to which he replied that a contra sounded better than a string
bass. I then said, to me it sounds better on a baritone sax. And
this moron of a conductor said, "No it doesn't. Contra sounds better
than a baritonesax, and I wouldn't use a baritone sax in any case."
I think he missed my point.

Why Dan, do you feel that any person's opinion on these things reaches
the level of being carved on stone in Sinai? When facts are
presented, anyone can have my full attention. But when opinion is
offered about the "right" way to do something to the exclusion of
any other way, that's nothing more than saying, "My taste is better
than yours. I'm experienced in this sort of thing. You can trust
my judgement. My way is better."

Forgive me if I misread this important part of your note, but that's
what I think it says. "Brymer does this, Marcellus does that,
X does this, Y does that. And all of this is hard evidence that we
must do it that way."

With thinking like that, we would all be playing with the reed on top.

Bottom line: I'm underwhelmed when anyone tells me that his or her
way should be done because it's better or easier or more noble or
more dignified, unless those statements have some examinable facts
to back them up.

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

   
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