Klarinet Archive - Posting 000248.txt from 2000/11

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Instructions (was diminuendo, etc)
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2000 18:21:07 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "William Wright" <Bilwright@-----.net>
Subject: [kl] Instructions (was diminuendo, etc)

> Given the historical ambiguity of many tempo instructions, and also
> the need to give the performer some latitude to 'make the music his
> own', is there an established Italian instruction which says "at the
> faster end of the range for this tempo" or "at the slower end of the
> range for this tempo" (rather than using a specific metronome rate)?
>
>

1. Remember that the terms pre-date the invention of the metronome. So
earlier composers probably weren't even thinking in terms of beats per
second. It is very helpful to get an actual Italian language dictionary and
look up the meanings of the terms in normal usage. This will help give you
a feel for what the composer may have meant. For example, allegro means
lively. So whatever tempo makes the piece feel "lively" would be an
appropriate tempo.

2. There are lots of adjectives attached to the tempo terms. For example
"piu allegro" would mean "more lively" while "poco allegro" or "un poco
allegro" would be "a little lively". I can't even begin to think of the
various ones that I have seen. Just keep a good pocket musical dictionary
on hand to look them up as you come to them.

Dee Hays

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