Klarinet Archive - Posting 000585.txt from 1999/10

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] The first two bars
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 15:29:12 -0400

On Tue, 19 Oct 1999 09:37:34 +0100, michael@-----.uk said:

> Nicholas Harnoncourt has an interesting viewpoint on classical
> phrasing. He describes it as rhetorical phrasing.

Yes, I agree with you (and him:-) -- I think this is a very good
metaphor. It's on the next level up from the one I was talking about.

> In our lives the most common uses of rhetoric are political speeches
> and washing powder adverts. So think of this procedure.
>
> 1. Persil washes at 40 degrees
>
> 2. It passes the critical blue-whiteness test
>
> 3. It will not let your colours fade - SO
>
> 4 GO AND BUY SOME TODAY
>
>
> Apply it to the first sentence of the Mozart Concerto where
>
>
> 1.= bars 1-2
> 2.= bars 3-4
> 3.= bars 5-6 concluding in
> 4.= bars 7-8
>
> Each part of the sentence structure then has a certain
> function/development leading to a grand conclusion. What is evident
> about this approach is that the development of the sentence is
> dependent on how we play the first note of each successive phrase.

Because there are different rhetorical structures, there are different
ways of making all that work. So there are hundreds of ways of playing
the Mozart concerto, still!

What I had been on about was the lowest level.

What is the structure of speech itself?

Answer: a rhythmic one. Syllables begin and go away.

So the phrasing structure, the metric structure and the harmonic
structure interact, and the beginnings of each of these....

> What is evident about this approach is that the development of the
> sentence is dependent on how we play the first note of each successive
> phrase.

...exhibit the sort of variety that Mike is talking about.

It's difficult to construct the rhetorical plan without the building
blocks.

The thing about the Mozart concerto is that the falling/rising third is
a very crucial building block. And you don't *notice it* until you take
the rhythmic viewpoint.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE GMN family artist: www.gmn.com
tel/fax 01865 553339

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