Klarinet Archive - Posting 000125.txt from 1999/03

From: "Joe Turpin" <ajturpin@-----.us>
Subj: Re: [kl] Some remarks on composer Mark Gustavson's interesting comments
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999 02:32:07 -0500

"Yet for some reason there are those who want to go against nature and find
the authentic way as if the old way is better."

The nature of a piece of music is inherent. It is clearly from a
certain historical, geographical, etc... context. How to perform a work is
not a question of what is best, but how and to what extent these variables
come in to 'play.' It is the nature of the piece that we are after. You
CAN sing a U2 song in a jazz style(read performance practice) and it will
sound great; as Cassandra Wilson has proven. It is not better or worse, but
merely different.

"Just as I am sometimes unhappy about some aspects of the current
performance practice of my music I am sure Mozart wasn't always crazy about
the performance practice of his time."

A bad performance comes from faulty technique, bad lighting, the flu, but is
not associated with a performance practice. It can occur within a
performance practice; eg. a bad rock 'n' roll cover band.

>I agree with you that there are different ways of performing a piece or
>period but I think your attitude suggests that your way should change what
>is happen now when in fact it had its time.
>

Of course there are different ways of performing a piece. Applying a value
judgement is entirely subjective no matter how objective one tries to be.
We all know the effort that goes into preparing a work for concert, which
includes research, analysis, woodshedding, etc. It is a very intimate
process. Needless to say this breeds strong beliefs.

In fact, I think Mozart intended to write K.622 for the Bassoon, but the
principal bassoonist in Liverwurst insulted Herr Mozart by playing K.191
backwards. Yeah, he had had too much bier and must have walked around the
stage backwards. The weight of the instrument made me feel as if he were
falling forwards," he was heard muttering afterwards. Well, it's all very
complicated, but apparently part of the bassoonist's performance practice.
Or should I say practicing walking backwards while playing and drunk was a
common performance of his.

At any rate, Mozart decided to write K.622 for the much less eccentric
clarinetist whose instrument also weighed much less:-)

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