Klarinet Archive - Posting 000280.txt from 1998/06

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] musical terminology
Date: Mon, 8 Jun 1998 09:28:48 -0400

On Mon, 8 Jun 1998, Lee Hickling wrote:

> No, you're not. I never heard an instrumental number called a song, but if
> I did, I'd have your reaction. "Piece" is better, to my taste. "Selection"
> is also good, but it has a sort of old-fashioned sound. How about saying
> instead of either, "A march ... a waltz ... an overture ... a movement from
> ..." and so on?

We could just call everything a "composition" -- whether sung or not --
and be rid of the issue. But then, that would be entirely too P.C.
for us musicians, I suspect. In once sense, it isn't bad to think
of instrumental music in terms of vocalization, given that emulation
of the voice is one of most common means by which instrumental musical
expression is analogized. And in cases where the instrumental music is
derived from an original vocal score, the label might very well be con-
sidered appropriate. And what about these nebulously entitled "songs
without words"? Is a sloppiness of logical precision being committed
by people who write those little animals?

Neil

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