Klarinet Archive - Posting 000447.txt from 1998/02

From: Labadorf@-----.com
Subj: Fwd: Re: Identifying the place for a cadenza
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 13:52:31 -0500

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In a message dated 2/9/98 12:17:46 AM, leeson@-----.edu wrote:

<<> From: MX%"Labadorf@-----.12
> Subj: Re: Identifying the place for a cadenza

> Dan,
>
> If Elizabeth won't ask, I might as well. There are other moments that are
> "red flags" to the performer that s/he should improvise an unaccompanied
solo
> - those moments that are *not* called cadenzas. Are these other moments
> always set up the same way every time?

There are lots of different flags in music of this period. The only
one to which I addressed myself was K. 622. But the whole nature of
music from this period is to leave messages about where one is invited
to do certain things. One "flag" that is rarely thought of as anything
other than what it says has to do with large leaps (K. 622, movement
1, m. 70 for example). That leap has an explicit invitation attached
to it.

>
> The three improv moments in KV 622 that you mentioned earlier I believe are
> the two fermatas in the exposition and recapitulation (mm. 127 & 315
> respectively) and the one usually mislabeled moment in the second movement.
> Each of these is set up by a dominant seventh chord which resolves to a
tonic
> in the beginning of the following phrase. I take it that these moments need
> to be very short lest we miss the relationship of the dominant seventh to
the
> tonic. Might the soloist expect to improvise some short "connection" in m
221
> of the third movement, or in the fermata measure in the first movement
> exposition of Mozarts Trio w/ viola and piano? (These moments are not set
up
> by either a tonic 6/4 or a dominant seventh)

This invitation is so important that it has a special name attached to it.
It is called "Eingang" (plural: "Eingange") and it always it called for
by a dominant 7th chord as you correctly noticed. But an Eingange
cannot be requested by a tonic 6/4 just as a cadenza cannot be requested
by a dominant seventh.

>
> Another question comes to mind regarding a spot in KV 622 - namely first
> movement mm. 198-200. These measures are set up with a tonic 6/4 and give a
> hint of a cadenza. I've always heard (at least in my head) these measures
> treated as a quasi cadenza if not using different notes at least in taking
> them out of tempo. Or, maybe improvisation is totally appropriate here as
> well?

A tonic 6/4 by itself does not call for a cadenza. There must be
a stopping point for that to happen. The tonic 6/4 is a common
chord in music of this period, but only when there is a pause to
the music as indicated by the fermata does the tonic 6/4 take on
any special meaning.

As for m. 198-200, it appears to me that this is too busy for the
performer to do further things with. The invitation to improvise
is almost invariably associated with passages that are not active
and have considerable passagework. Look at m. 216-219 instead.

But all of this is getting away from what Elizabeth was talking about.
I didn't want to bring up the general subject of performer improvisation,
only the issue of what the composer did to request a cadenza.

>
> Tom Labadorf
> Clarinetist, U. S. Coast Guard Band
> Adjunct Instructor, Connecticut College, New London CT
> Adjunct Instructor, Hartt College of Music, Community Division
> Labadorf@-----.com
=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================

>>

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Mon, 9 Feb 1998 00:06:41 -0500 (EST)
Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 21:06:20 EST
From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subject: Re: Identifying the place for a cadenza

> From: MX%"Labadorf@-----.12
> Subj: Re: Identifying the place for a cadenza

> Dan,
>
> If Elizabeth won't ask, I might as well. There are other moments that are
> "red flags" to the performer that s/he should improvise an unaccompanied
solo
> - those moments that are *not* called cadenzas. Are these other moments
> always set up the same way every time?

There are lots of different flags in music of this period. The only
one to which I addressed myself was K. 622. But the whole nature of
music from this period is to leave messages about where one is invited
to do certain things. One "flag" that is rarely thought of as anything
other than what it says has to do with large leaps (K. 622, movement
1, m. 70 for example). That leap has an explicit invitation attached
to it.

>
> The three improv moments in KV 622 that you mentioned earlier I believe are
> the two fermatas in the exposition and recapitulation (mm. 127 & 315
> respectively) and the one usually mislabeled moment in the second movement.
> Each of these is set up by a dominant seventh chord which resolves to a
tonic
> in the beginning of the following phrase. I take it that these moments need
> to be very short lest we miss the relationship of the dominant seventh to
the
> tonic. Might the soloist expect to improvise some short "connection" in m
221
> of the third movement, or in the fermata measure in the first movement
> exposition of Mozarts Trio w/ viola and piano? (These moments are not set
up
> by either a tonic 6/4 or a dominant seventh)

This invitation is so important that it has a special name attached to it.
It is called "Eingang" (plural: "Eingange") and it always it called for
by a dominant 7th chord as you correctly noticed. But an Eingange
cannot be requested by a tonic 6/4 just as a cadenza cannot be requested
by a dominant seventh.

>
> Another question comes to mind regarding a spot in KV 622 - namely first
> movement mm. 198-200. These measures are set up with a tonic 6/4 and give a
> hint of a cadenza. I've always heard (at least in my head) these measures
> treated as a quasi cadenza if not using different notes at least in taking
> them out of tempo. Or, maybe improvisation is totally appropriate here as
> well?

A tonic 6/4 by itself does not call for a cadenza. There must be
a stopping point for that to happen. The tonic 6/4 is a common
chord in music of this period, but only when there is a pause to
the music as indicated by the fermata does the tonic 6/4 take on
any special meaning.

As for m. 198-200, it appears to me that this is too busy for the
performer to do further things with. The invitation to improvise
is almost invariably associated with passages that are not active
and have considerable passagework. Look at m. 216-219 instead.

But all of this is getting away from what Elizabeth was talking about.
I didn't want to bring up the general subject of performer improvisation,
only the issue of what the composer did to request a cadenza.

>
> Tom Labadorf
> Clarinetist, U. S. Coast Guard Band
> Adjunct Instructor, Connecticut College, New London CT
> Adjunct Instructor, Hartt College of Music, Community Division
> Labadorf@-----.com
=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================

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