Klarinet Archive - Posting 000367.txt from 1997/01

From: Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.NET>
Subj: Re: Bill Edinger's interesting comments
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 10:33:15 -0500

In response to Bill Edinger, Dan Leeson writes:

>
>I am sorry Bill, but this transcends logic. The way it reads is
>
> 1. The composer writes
> 2. The performer decides on the fallibility of the composer
> 3. If fallible, believe nothing
> 4. If infallible, believe everything
>
>And there is a corrolary to this, too.
>
> 1. The performer is infallible
>
>I have no idea if Beethoven was fallible or not. It is irrelevant to
>the issue under discussion and it would be colossol arogance of me
>to presume that my judgement on a composer's fallibility affects
>my conclusions. If a guess is permissable, I would suggest that
>Beethoven was probably not infallible but who cares? I also presume
>that he meant what he said and that I should not contradict what he
>said except on the hardest, most well-documented evidence.My opinion
>on fallibility is neither hard evidence, well-documented evidence,
>or anything but my personal opinion. And personal opinion has very
>little place in music performance. Only knowledge does. It gives
>rise to chaos if everyone plays the way they feel.
>
>This is not directed at you because I don't know you, but many
>clarinet players presume that they don't have to know anything
>about music in order to play it. They don't need to know history,
>tradition, performance practice, harmony, theory, counterpoint,
>or anything if they manage the instrument with competence. They
>only need to hold an opinion on how things go.
>
>To which I suggest: doo-doo!
>
>
>
>
>====================================
>Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
>(leeson@-----.edu)
>====================================

I'll second that motion! Well put, Dan.

------------------
Jonathan Cohler
cohler@-----.net