Klarinet Archive - Posting 000435.txt from 1997/12

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Today's Titus on the Met Broadcast
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 09:10:15 -0500

On Sun, 7 Dec 1997, Lorne G. Buick wrote:
> I think the principal player in (correct me if I'm wrong) the most
> prestigious and highly-paid opera orchestra, certainly the most
> widely-heard opera orchestra in the US if not in the world, has an
> obligation to play the notes that Mozart wrote. "we may simply play a piece
> in any way we like simply because we like it that way" really doesn't cut
> it.

I can appreciate your position here - and it has merit. However, if I
played in an ensemble that is widely heard and decided to perform a
piece in a certain way, I wouldn't want others deciding for me what my job
description should be........and deciding that if I did play it a certain
way, I must not be a professional. Morales has earned the right to play
it as he sees fit and still be considered a profesisonal.....without
obligation to anyone. Of course, if he did things this way all the time,
one would wonder if that freedom should still exist for him....however, he
has not appeared to do anything incorrectly by playing a version that the
Met apparently endorses.

BTW do you have inside information that Morales chose to play it on
> regular Bb "simply because he likes it that way" or is that strictly your
> own opinion?

If you read the original post and my reply to it, you would know that I
was simply suggesting other reasons that he may have performed it the way
that he did....then I presented a possible justification for such a
decision. I didn't claim any secret knowledge or have an opinion about
why he did it other than to add to Dan Leeson's suggestions for the same.

> Interesting point. Did anyone at the Met or on the broadcast announce that
> "we present Mozart's opera almost the way he wrote it?"

Does the Pops? Or....are you saying that the Pops, by way of BEING the
Pops, is assumed to do it anyway?

> Well, to me "not the original intention" and "nothing wrong with the
> version" are incompatible.

Again, I can appreciate and respect your opinion....it has merit. I
simply do not hold the same opinion. I have been at many concerts for
which composers were present and commented on the additions or changes
made by conductors to "improve" the work. I have also premiered a few
works for clarinet in which I took liberties.....in one, for clarinet and
harp, the key change in the middle was awful, so I transposed it on A.
When the composer showed up, he liked the idea and rescored the work for
Bb with a switch to A in the middle. I wonder if Mozart would have been
as sensitive to the performer's needs? But.....as has pointed out....we
really don't know either way do we?

Roger Garrett
IWU

   
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