Klarinet Archive - Posting 000195.txt from 1996/04

From: Ken Cook <kcook@-----.US>
Subj: Performance Lattitude
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 15:41:58 -0400

I have been reading the ideas by Leeson and Cohler on interpretation.

I probably missed part of the idea, but I seem to hear a great deal
of emphasis placed on period of composition and intentions of
composers, to which I agree to a point.

How many of us can understand, at least perfectly, the intentions of
the composers without communicating with them?

Is there no role for the individual in expressive performance?

Is not the idea to balance composer AND period AND performer AND
audience?

If we were all to recreate the same piece the same way every time we
played it we could hardly claim respect for the composer. We would
be killing his work.