Klarinet Archive - Posting 001018.txt from 1999/12

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Tempos over time
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 19:31:21 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "George Kidder" <gkidder@-----.org>
Subject: [kl] Tempos over time

> 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

Per Encarta 99

Metronome - conceived in 1812 by Dutch inventor Dietrich Nikolaus. Patented
in 1816 by German musician and inventor Johann Nepomuk Maelzel.

However many composers of the past (and even some today) ignored metronome
markings in selecting their verbal descriptions and based their choice on
feeling. The conductors and musicians must interpret it the same way.

If you look up the words in an Italian dictionary, you will find that many
of them don't relate directly to speed.

For example Allegro simply means lively. Now that is going to vary
depending on how the piece was written. For example sixteenth notes at
quarter note @-----. On the
other hand if the shortest note is a quarter note and you play it at a
quarter @-----. In this case to get that
lively feeling, you would probably have to play about twice that fast.

Here's a translation of the Italian terms you show:

Largo - Broad
Larghetto - slightly broad
Adagio - slow
Andante - going or walking pace
Moderato - Medium
Allegro - Lively
Presto - Fast
Prestissimo - as fast as possible.

The composers were/are trying to indicate how they want the music to feel
not necessarily what the metronome marking might be. The markings on a
metronome are simply the maker's opinion on what these might typically be.
However these don't take into account other compositional factors such as
the maximum amount of subdividing of the beat that the composer has in his
work.

As you can see, back in the Bach, Mozart, Handel, etc timeframes, the
metronome didn't even exist yet. The tempi of their works is generally
selected on the basis of tradition and feeling but this will vary from
conductor to conductor or performer to performer.

Hope this helps you.

Dee Hays
Canton, SD

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