Klarinet Archive - Posting 000825.txt from 1997/10

From: Hat NYC 62 <HatNYC62@-----.com>
Subj: Re: klarinet-digest V1 #339
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 1997 10:20:26 -0400

<<....would an experienced, professional ever "...be caught..." penciling
fingering cues above or below a rapid and complicated phrase where the
figure could be played smoothly only by changing options?>>

This is actually an excellent question. There is no single answer. Some
professionals simply mark more things than others. Often, so much music must
be played in a short time span that "idiot marks" are sometimes necessary. I
don't think I have seen a Tchaikovsky 4 part where there wasn't a big "L"
marked for the c in the staccato passage in the 2nd movement (those of you who
know the part know where I mean).

What is more certain is that professionals generally like to keep their parts
uncluttered and free of unnecessary marks. When an actual performance is going
on, you can only look at so many things and every extra mark increases the
chance that you'll miss the one(s) that are crucial. So an occasional "L" or
"R" or a slide indicator should be fairly common. Entire words or phrases
written out, less so. . .no time to read them!

To see the difference, go to a university library and look at the wind quintet
parts. What a mess! All kinds of junk scribbled in. Folks write in the names
of the other players for cues (instead of instrument names, which might help
someone in the future). They'll write thing like LOUD! or SOFT! when the
dynamics are already marked. These are things most professionals learn to live
without doing. Does this answer the question at all?