Klarinet Archive - Posting 000821.txt from 1999/09

From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] K622: Chocolate asparagus
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 21:13:01 -0400

Mr. Smith:

> Well, as was said by the conductor George Szell when he was
> criticized for what a few accused him to be an under--interpreting of
> the composers Mozart , Haydn, etc, -- "Well you can't expect me to pour
> chocolate sauce over asparagus!!!"

That's a perfectly valid explanation. I've always sort of understood why
the Marcellus recording is regarded as it is (like before, canon is the
best word I can think of). But in light of the improvisation...well,
there is none. Marcellus performs K622 flawlessly (although, having heard
it on bassett long before obtaining the Marcellus recording, it sounded
odd at first), and, in my opinion, sort of serves as a template or basis
of what NEEDS to be played.

I tend to think of Marcellus' K622 as a baked potato with butter. If you
don't have this, then you don't have the meal.

Once you've got that actual potato, sour cream and bacon bits, and a few
other touches can be added (the eingang, improvisation, etc). This gives
your potato a more distinct flavor. However, if you start with a lousy
potato, no matter what you add to it, it's gonna be a lousy meal.
Granted, you've given it a distinct flavor by adding bacon bits and
chives, but that just makes it a distinctly lousy meal.

Now, I'm not saying that the Marcellus is THE basis for K622, but it
serves as an excellent one of several out there, and in my collection of
recordings, it serves as the best (for me). (So, this is all my opinion,
as usual.)

So, maybe when one overdoes it (which happens as often as it is underdone,
but I don't find Szell to be really guilt of that), that could be
considered Chocolate covered Asparagus. Like, to me, when Sabine Meyer
plays the eingang in Mvt II, it's longer than I like it, so that's
chocolate covered asparagus...for me. However, the eingang Shifrin played
when he was down here, about 6 notes, was just right, and was more like
cheese.

Of course, I've always been fond of cheese covered asparagus, but I've
never really tried chocolate covered asparagus. Maybe I shouldn't down it
until I've tried it.

On second thought, I think I won't. ^_^

J. Shouryu Nohe
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe
Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
"If I wanted a 'job,' I'd have gone music ED, thank you very much!"

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