Klarinet Archive - Posting 000052.txt from 1997/11

From: Fred <fsheim@-----.com>
Subj: Re: klarinet-digest V1 #380
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 1997 19:17:41 -0500

At 04:51 PM 11/3/97 EST, you wrote:
>
><<I did, however, disagree with some
>of his tempi (too fast). The first movement of the Saint Saens (the theme
>that comes back at the end), in particular, if performed slower than an
>initial instinct would dictate, gives an entirely different and almost
>(crying from the heart) prayerlike feeling to the rising triplet pattern in
>measures 15-17.>>
>
>Obviously a matter of interpretation. The tempo marking is Allegro. I
actually
>prefer his tempo, as I think the piece starts to sound overly sappy at a slow
>tempo. One just has to have the technique to play the quick parts of the 1st
>movement at the same tempo. You didn't mention his rather quick tempo for the
>3rd movement. I thought that really improved a very problematic movement.
>

After the enamorization with how fast ones fingers can move is over, one
realizes that NOTES come from the hands, and MUSIC comes from the heart. A
true artist breathes the emotion into a work that the composer intended by
subtle manipulations of tempi and dynamics, and subtle emphasis certain
notes and phrases. That is musicianship. I believe, as did Mr. Kell, that
more emotion (emotion, not sappiness) is given this first movement by a
slightly slower tempo, lets say allegretto as opposed to allegro. And say,
look again, the first movement IS marked allegretto.
I didn't notice that the third movement was too fast. I don't particularly
find this movement problematic either. What do you mean when you say that
the extra speed "improved" the movement. "Improved" or "made easier?"
Speeding up a taxing phraseto make it easier does not necessarily improve it.

Fred (fsheim@-----.com)