Klarinet Archive - Posting 001148.txt from 1998/10

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] Weber Concerto number 2--Sabine Meyer & Charlie Neidich
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 08:55:41 -0500

On Mon, 26 Oct 1998, David B. Niethamer wrote:
> The last mvt of Weber's Concerto No. 2 is marked "Alla Polacca", which
> denotes a dance type requiring a certain range of tempo. To play it
> significantly faster than that calls more attention to the performer than
> to the music, which IMHO is always a bad idea. There's enough built-in
> virtuosity as it's written. The fact that, in your opinion, this is not
> great music is beside the point - respect for the composers wishes, as
> far as we know it, should come first. That gives the music a chance to
> speak for itself.

> David Niethamer
> Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
> dnietham@-----.edu
> http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/

I really like David's entire post, of which I only re-posted the first
half.

The built in virtuosity idea is really a good thing to draw attention
to....even at 110-120 the final page of Polacca would be impressive. The
idea that a performer draws attention to himself rather than the
music.........it is almost a philisophical view isn't it?! But think about
the most popular players - you have a couple of factions.....you have the
people who are drawn to the double-tonguing, circular breathing
technically masterful performers who rarely perform the works of Brahms
and Beethoven (let alone Debussy and Schuman) - but people love 'em
because they do things that most people don't. Then you have the folks
who focus on the non-traditional approach of the times (which has become
the traditional approach.....which, historically USED to be
traditional....hmmmmmm....) and that is improvisation and vibrato - but
then these great players tend to blend over into the "lets sell a CD"
area. Then you have the Symphony players making a buck with the standard,
traditional, non-vibrato/improvisation approach - making yet ANOTHER
recording of the Mozart Concerto or the Brahms Sonatas (at last count, I
believe I have seven of each work on CD.....and more on LP).....*whew* We
could go on all day about why each person does what they do. I suspect
that there is ego and $ involved with playing a work in such a way to draw
attention to one's self. Is that wrong? Well.....I wouldn't want to play
golf or poker with someone like that, but it is always fun to attend a
concert and observe some feats of physical accomplishment that I have not
personally developed.

Everyone hasn a favorite performer and/or style. I remember when vibrato
was verboten........I remember adamantly opposing the use of it (well, I
was pretty young then)......and now...I have to work hard not to use it
just because I like it!

Just rambling.......

Roger Garrett
IWU

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