Klarinet Archive - Posting 000026.txt from 1999/03

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fredj@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Carl Stamitz Clarinet Concerto No. 3 in B flat
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 15:02:12 -0500

Pat,
Time to go back to school (or at least to the books) and research
"Performance Practice". It is a well-documented fact that in those days,
it was considered completely normal (it was just how they did it) to
embellish as amatter of course. Not only did noone think twice about it,
but there were even treatises written on how to embellish properly, so as
to guard against tasteless show-offs. Not to embellish would have been
unthinkable and anyone who couldn't do it properly was obviously uncouth
and untrained.
Therefore, it follows that nowadays, anyone who is interested in
performing the music AS THE COMPOSER WOULD HAVE WANTED IT/EXPECTED TO HEAR
IT should use all sorts of stylistically-correct ornaments. To do
otherwise indicates either ignorance of the above, non-interest in
performance practice, or incredible egotism. For example, there are quite
a few pianists even today who do not embellish Bach when they play it for
any or all of the above reasons.
For a composer to write out these ornaments would be as silly as a
dramatist writing stress marks, pauses, etc. into the script. Firstly, why
go to all that trouble. Secondly THAT'S THE MUSICIAN'S JOB! Any
well-trained musician ought to be able to do these ornaments. The same
holds true for publishers. It would be silly to publish a special edition
of the piece with Sabine Meyer's ornaments because: 1) How many people
would actually buy the edition, making it cost-effective? 2) Anyone
interested in ornaments would probably (as I do), do their own research
and make up their own anyway. Sabine's may be great for her but I have my
own style. 3) She may not even have good ornaments worthy of publishing.
As to eingangs, Dan Leeson wrote a FABULOUS posting a while back
about cadenzas and eingangs. Look it up in the index. It will answer all
your questions about them.
And finally, tempi. The metronome was not invented until long
after Stamitz was dead. Even when it was finally invented (in, I think,
arould 1815) it was not used by many composers for just such reasons as
stated above: Any musician with half a brain and some musicality would be
expected to figure out the tempo from the marking and not need it spelled
out. In fact, it would be insulting to not trust the musician to
use his own good musical instincts. Nowadays, we are many generations
removed from that but with the proper research one should be able to
confidently play classical works in a stylistically correct manner.

Fred Jacobowitz
Clarinet/Sax Instructor, Peabody Preparatory

On Sun, 28 Feb 1999, Pat Hamilton wrote:

> I recently heard Sabine Meyer's CD "Johann & Carl Stamitz." Her
> embellishments in Concerto No. 3 in B flat were most interesting. I'm
> wondering if anyone can tell me if they are from a published edition or
> where they originated--with Sabine herself? One "cadenza" even sounded like
> an "ein gang," and seems to be in the appropriate place for one, though I'm
> not sure my ear can recognize the difference. Anyway, my C.F Peters edition
> has nothing like these additions! Also her tempo was faster (l32-6?) than
> traditionally played (l08-ll6) in the first "Allegro Moderato" movement.
> Perhaps not appropriate, but I liked it! I'd be interested to hear other
> people's reactions. I've been a clarinet teacher for a number of years and
> sometimes teach this solo. Thanks--Pat
>
>
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