Klarinet Archive - Posting 000691.txt from 2000/07

From: klarAnn-ette H Satterfield <klarann@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] enthused musings upon Mozart Concerto
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 10:33:31 -0400

On Tue, 18 Jul 2000 12:39:43 EDT LeliaLoban@-----.com writes:
> I've learned a lot from the professionals and advanced amateurs
contributing
> to the threads on the Mozart concerto (under several headings now). >
It
> bothers me, though, that several people sing theme and variations on,
"I
> refused to study this concerto at such-and-such time, because I wasn't
worthy
> of it, and of course I'm still not worthy of it." (I'm loosely
> paraphrasing.) I agree with the general idea that beginners could put
their
> time to better use than by tackling a professional-level concerto, but
I hope
> the "we're not ready yet" idea doesn't prove so contagious that adults
and
> advanced students think they can best show respect for Mozart by
putting off,
> and putting off, and putting off learning his music. I think there's
a
> danger of deifying Mozart, when the repertory of really first-class
pieces
> for clarinet is so small.
>
> IMHO, an overly-fervent adoration of music or any other art can stifle
the
> learning of it.
Since i am one of the people who wrote describing my being 'not ready' i
want to further explain that i don't disagree with anybody diving into
the Mozart when interested.

I have always been very *opinionated* about what (and when) music i was
interested in learning. When i was a high school senior, my clarinet
teacher (also througout college) thought assigning Rabaud Solo de
Concours would boost my technique. I could make little sense of the
work, and the arpeggios seemed insurmountable. I found in the high
school band library Alec Wilder Sonata, which i liked and worked on my
own, and substituted the first movement for 'rabid' in Solo and Ensemble
contest. The first my teacher knew about it was when i showed him the
judges rating sheet.

i didn't *like* the Mozart when i was undergrad. I also didn't like von
Weber although i did a quick tour of the grand duo and concertos, but
worked happily and whole-heartedly on Brahms, Saint Saens, Hindemith and
Poulenc.

> By the most rigorous standards, I've got
> no business practicing the Mozart, since I'm an amateur who will never
play a
> concerto in public or with an orchestra, or even well enough that I'd
want
> anybody else to listen to me. Yet I do practice the concerto, because
I love
> it, and because *playing it* as well as possible strikes me as a
completely
> appropriate way to show respect for it.
>
This is absolutely valid, and i will defend yours and anyone else's right
to do so because there is a different perspective from working inside a
piece of music.

And you know the difference between playing for your benefit and
expecting to represent the music for other listeners.

annhall
Ann Satterfield
clarinetist and teacher
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