Klarinet Archive - Posting 000339.txt from 1997/06

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: Opinions sought re classical improvisations
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 11:53:47 -0400

Some very good and thoughtful people have come right out on the
list and said, "I don't believe in improvisation during performances
of K. 622." I have no objections to anyone holding a belief that
is different from mine, and to whatever degree. But I need more
than simply a stake in the ground; i.e., "I don't believe in doing it,
and that's that."

For those who have expressed an unwillingness to consider it as
a viable performance practice, none have been very clear as to
what the factors are that drive them to that conclusion. Nor,
if I may be blunt, has anyone presented a historically valid
reason why the practice is not applicable to today's performances.

I think that every thinking musician needs to be able to express
an opinion with something more than "I believe that ..." In
my opinion, holding a belief, no matter how sincere and earnest,
is insufficient reason for doing or not doing a musical thing.

In effect, if asked "Why did you play that phrase that way?"
the answer "I felt like it." is not a constructive musical
statement. Music is a very emotional business. We would not
do it if we were unmoved by beauty in many guises.

But we should not be making complicated musical decisions
entirely on the basis of flying by the seat of one's pants.
It is not enough to have fast hands and a good sound. One
needs an extraordinary musical education to be able to make
authoritative statements about the way that a piece is
supposed to be able to "go."

Intuition is not enough. Desire is not enough. Love is
not enough. Only those things plus knowledge is enough.

I will now take my soap box to Hyde Park, London, thankyou.

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