Klarinet Archive - Posting 000477.txt from 1998/10

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Galper's scale studies and 2341
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 18:56:57 -0400

On Sat, 11 Oct 1986 13:02:21 -0400, mgervick@-----.edu said:

[snip]

> Also - Tony - I did not mean so much to accent the 3rd and 6th since
> you are right - there is little time to do gross accents. However, it
> has been arguesd (I do not remember by whom other than a teacher of
> mine - Florie Rothenberg) that these eighths (3,6) are the most
> important to the underlying feel (whatever that may be) of the piece.

I'd rather say that 3 and 6 in a 6/8 bar should be the lightest. But in
this case, the three equal quavers that begin the first complete bar
have an added significance, being part of the '3' numerology of the
piece. I think that it's likely that the three dots in the NMA over the
quavers were actually vertical dashes, and signified equality -- so that
there is no hierarchy in this case.

I agree with Roger Shilcock that a variety of rhythmic patterning in
this movement is achieved according to whether the bars are in one, in
two (hierarchic) or consist essentially of two 3/8 bars. Thus for me
the first bar is in one, because the rhythm of the accompaniment
obscures the second beat. (Mozart could have written in the strings,
quaver, two quaver rests, three quavers. Instead, he wrote quaver,
quaver rest, four quavers.) The slur makes the second bar in one; then
the third bar is like two 3/8 bars, and the fourth in one; the fifth and
sixth mirror bars one and two, with the suggestion in the sixth of a
hierarchical two (indicated by the harmony, though the slur still
indicates one); and the seventh and the eighth in hierarchical two.

It's useful to ask yourself the question, "how many objects are there in
this bar?" You might come up with different answers from me, because
there isn't a right or wrong here. You have to ask yourself what makes
sense for you given the accompaniment and your idea of the character of
the passage.

By the way, the beginning of a longer object is different from the
beginning of a shorter object. Think of the leaves on a tree. Some of
them are young, and therefore smaller than older ones. But all the
leaves on the tree have the same shape.

Turned on its side, a simple leaf has a 'beginning-oriented' shape. You
can make all the shapes the same in a passage by making the 'bowstroke'
faster for shorter objects, and slower for longer ones. This gives a
natural variety to the attacks.

You can even change trees between (or even during) passages!

> On my last performance (only this movement), I tried to implement this
> feeling into my music (it does add drive - if you want that here - I
> did), and got good responses from the audience. -JR

Good. Congratulations on thinking for yourself about the piece.

Tony
--
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