Klarinet Archive - Posting 000967.txt from 1999/12

From: George Kidder <gkidder@-----.org>
Subj: [kl] Tempos over time
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 09:10:26 -0500

I have a question about possible changes in the meanings of words like
Largo and Adagio over time. Marvin Belveal asked a very similar question
in 1995, but I have been unable to find any answers to it in the archives.
There has been much discussion of "proper" tempos for various pieces, with
comments ranging from "do what you like" to "do as the composer seemed to
intend", but this is not my interest. I am wondering if there is any
"hard" data which would tell us if the number of beats per minute
associated with these words has changed over the years.

One possible source of "hard" information is the markings on metronomes. I
own two of them - one a modern Seiko SO44, and one a Seth-Thomas "pyramid"
clockwork design bought in the 1950's but probably designed much earlier.
(While there is no date of any sort on it, the instructions inside the
cover call it the "Metronome de Maelzel" [e-umlaut], and the basic design
and therefore the markings on the slider may be from the 1890's at the
earliest. ASSUMING that both instruments represent the current thinking
about the beats per minute to be assigned to various tempo names, this
gives us a span of maybe a century over which to compare.

I have listed the tempos in words and in beats for the two instruments.
(And I hope that the magic of internet doesn't mess up the table!)

Seiko Seth-Thomas

40 40
Largo
60 70
Largetto
66 98
Adagio
76 125
Andante
108
*Moderato
120 154
Allegro
168 180
Presto
200 208
*Prestissimo
208

(Tempos marked with asterisk are not given on the Seth-Thomas instrument.)

As you can see, while the overall range is the same (40 to 208 bpm) and the
tempo names are in the same order, the meanings assigned to the names are
widely divergent, especially in the middle of the range, where Largetto,
Adagio and Andante do not even overlap.

Moreover, as was noted by Marvin Belveal, modern practice applied to
Mozart's music, to the extent that it really represents the composer's
wishes, often produces even greater discrepancies. The example Marvin
cites (although not by name) is the second movement of K 622, which is
marked Adagio and also (in some editions) [quarter note] = 42, which is
"Largo" on either metronome. No one plays this movement at Adagio
according to either metronome.

So my question (finally): Does anyone have access to older metronomes
which can extend the data back in time, and maybe answer the question of
whether we are in fact beating music faster "as the pace of life speeds up."

-----------------------
George Kidder
MDIBL
gkidder@-----.org

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