Klarinet Archive - Posting 000736.txt from 1998/07

From: "Steven J Goldman, MD" <gpsc@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Demeanor in 18th C. Performance Practice
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 03:08:27 -0400

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I just dug up my copy of "The Virtuoso Flute-Player" of 1791 by one Johann
George Tromlitz (Trans. & Edited by Ardal Powell ).

Quote:

"...posture has a such a great influence on playing....for the more fine,
unforced and natural the posture is, the more impression will the
performance make upon the listener. Yes! Even if one can play ever so well
and skillfully, such a performance with bad posture will not make the same
impression as a mediocre one with a beautiful posture....Many people go to a
great deal of trouble to make faces, because for them they represent
expression, or even to take its place entirely; to wit: raising the
shoulders as far as the ears; cringing, ridiculous motions of the head, the
eyes or the nose; bobbing or weaving; bending back and forth, twisting and
turning the whole body; cowering and stretching as though the whole player
were molded out of rubber; straining and squeezing so that the player's
countenance becomes as red as a cherry, and so fourth. This kind of twaddle
and ridiculous tomfoolery.... applies not just to the flute but also to all
the other instruments......"

He goes on and on as this particular pedagogue was won't to do, but you get
the idea. Demeanor was VERY important in 18th century performance practice.

Steven Goldman
Glenview, IL 60025

sjgoldman@-----.com

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