Klarinet Archive - Posting 001424.txt from 1999/03

From: "B. Keplinger" <bcaslin@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] mistakes
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 22:39:26 -0500

At 04:50 AM 3/27/99 GMT, Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay) wrote:
>On Sat, 27 Mar 1999 15:53:11 +1200, dodgshun@-----.nz said:
>The other thing is, of course dynamics, character and atmosphere all come
>into that. But my point is, I'm better off not having dynamics written
>in, because sometimes the performance at that moment (notice, 'it', not
>'I') requires something other than whatever was written in.
I have a few CDs of Thomas Hampson (yes, I know, not a clarinetist), which
I enjoy very much; he is a fine, sensitive musician, and his forays out of
traditional classical repertoire (Irving Berlin songs, etc.) are good in
that he adjusts his interpretation to fit a more "popular" genre.
On the other hand, I have heard from people who have heard him on several
occasions (I have only heard him "live" once, at Tanglewood) that his
interpretations tend not to change at all from concert to concert. I found
that rather a bothersome thing to ponder, and it has since colored my
feeling toward Hampson as a performer.
To further elucidate on My. Pay's comment that I quoted above, I have been
reluctant to perform Brahms' sonatas because of their musical depth. *In
my opinion*, his clarinet chamber works (indeed much of his later chamber
music) has a longing and wistfulness, sometimes a pain, even, that is
difficult to express if one has not suffered at least some significant loss
in his or her own life. This does not mean that the musician is
necessarily expressing personal emotions when playing, although that
certainly enters into it. I guess I see it as "method acting" in a way,
whereby the actor better portrays the action by thinking of a personal
occurrence (*or something s/he can empathize with*) that arouses similar
emotions similar to the character's at that moment.
Speaking of the Brahms sonatas, I have been blessed with hearing the young
violin virtuoso Hillary Hahn (I know, she's not a clarinetist either) on a
regular basis since she was eleven years old. Since the first time time I
heard her, it was evident that she was a soloist of the first rank
in-the-making. What I have enjoyed the most is hearing her develop over
the years as a musician. About three or four years ago she performed
Brahms' opus 78 Sonata (no. 1) (for those who can program their CD players
for the purpose, try it as wake-up music; there's nothing better for gentle
awakening of the neurons, imho). As was entirely expected, her performance
was perfect technically (even when she was *11*, her intonation was
breathtaking, let alone now), but musically (as one might expect from a
young teen) it left something to be desired. (On the other hand, a more
recent performance of the Barber Concerto showed a young musician whose
musical flower was definitely coming into bloom.)
This is all a long-winded agreement with Mr. Pay that yes, musicality is
more than playing with a good use of the dynamic range of the instrument,
good phrasing, etc... Even the best musicians (even Ms. Hahn) have to have
_lived_ a little while to be able to "make music." To be sure there is a
certain personal exposure involved (as with any art) that cannot be
avoided, but it's far more than simply wearing one's heart on one's sleeve.
So I guess what this boils down to is, while the mechanics of musicality
can be taught, a reliance on the mechanics produces dull performances. We
must always always be flexible and willing to take risks; only then does
music LIVE.
-Bruce

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