Klarinet Archive - Posting 000910.txt from 2000/07

From: alevin@-----. Levin)
Subj: Re: [kl] Mozart's wife and Carl Maria Weber
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000 13:38:17 -0400

I wonder, from time to time, what infuence the recording industry has had
on tempi. For example: most pre-CD recordings of Mozart Symphony No. 40
take one side of an lp. This is done with tempo adjustments and removal of
repeats. I once owned an off-brand recording of it that took an entire lp.
All repeats were taken and the tempi were deathly slow. That was an
extreme case and it didn't work; but it has affected my thinking.

More recently, there was a CD release of the Mendelssohn Overture for
Winds. It is a very fine, well-paced performance. But I grew up with the
much faster performance recorded by the Goldman band in the 50's. The new
one is much better. Still, I can't make myself hear the new tempo in my mind.

How many performances become set in the mind's ear by virtue of the
characteristics of the recording media. I think that most students hear
the standard repertoire before they play it. This has a profound impact
upon performance.

Allen

At 09:37 AM 7/23/00 -0700, you wrote:
>There is no information known to me that would allow anyone to make an
>authoritative statement about what Mozart's tempo intentions were for
>any movement of K. 622. But I don't consider the absence of that data
>as fatal. One simply has to determine what the tempo is from the
>character of the work and the internal energy given by the performers.
>
>And, in my opinion, in the final analysis, almost any tempo can be made
>to work if the work has that internal energy. A performance played
>without energy is not going to have a comfortable time in any tempo even
>the one that was in Mozart's head.
>
>DanLeeson
>Patricia Smith wrote:
>>
>> Dan,
>> We have been bandying about various theories on what may or may not be a
>> proper tempo for the slow movement of K622. None of us possess your level
>> of expertise on K622, so we are wondering: what are your findings in this
>> regard? Are there any notes of Mozart's left regarding this issue, or is
>> this something we simply do not have?
>> I personally do not make a religion out of worshipping composers (or any
>> other non-deity for that matter); however, I do wish when I work on,
perform
>> and teach this piece of music to do it as closely to what the composer
>> wished as possible, given what scholarship is available.
>> TIA,
>> Patty Smith
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
>> Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
>> Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
>> Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org
>
>--
>***************************
>** Dan Leeson **
>** leeson0@-----.net **
>***************************
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
>Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
>Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
>Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org
>
>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org