Klarinet Archive - Posting 000974.txt from 2000/11

From: Gary Truesdail <gir@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] PIANIST'S COMPETITIONS
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 23:54:59 -0500

Might be a good idea if all participants could submit recordings of their
performance of the same composition and recorded in the same studio with the
same engineers and the same microphones. Even without exact duplicate
conditions we would frequently discover each performers product
(performance/interpretation/tone/etc, etc., ) is OK, just different. We have
all heard others that played with what we might labeled a "professionally",
(what ever that may mean) poor attribute but the rest of the playing was not
only awesome but downright enlightening. Example: A super jazz player that
is capable of the most fantastic thematic development during improvised solos
that he/she literally gives birth to a new composition right then and there
but may have what you consider a not too good tone. Want evidence - just
listen to the virtuosos who play and record ethnic music from around the
world. Some of them have digital dexterity that is almost never matched in
classical music (probably because classical music rarely calls for it) and
elements of interpretation, such as quarter tones and note bending, that are
required on order to deliver a performance that would be considered correct
by a standard that is different from ours (most of the western world). I was
always aware of this in the past but it was rally brought home during a
musical tour of China where I was exposed to the Chinese Violin. It took a
while to get used to but after several exposures to the sound, scale and
playing techniques of the violin and other Chinese instruments, I started to
filter out my own preconceived ideas of what sounded 'good' and what did
not. When this happens a person can then hear more clearly the other
elements of musical performance that make up the 'universal language' of
music; the elements of creation, expression, and communication, especially
the communication of emotion/feeling. In my view all music is constructed in
phrases, (in some rare cases phrases are intentionally avoided) and all
phrases are the equivalent of the sentence in speech. Each phrase says
something. Some phrases are connected to the previous or later phrase as one
may emphasize, lay the foundation for, qualify, or answer the other one.
Sometimes several phrases are related to one another as multiple sentences in
a paragraph. (This could be carried on and on but I won't). My point here
is that each phrase should say something (with dynamic nuances, tonal
changes, variances in tempo, etc.). If you don't do anything of these things
you should have a good reason (emotion/feeling/communication wise) for
playing it that way (even a phrase with no nuances has feeling if done
correctly. Then the communication is totally dependent upon the pitch
changes within the phrase) Even then a phrase which has no variances other
than pitch can impart a feeling, possibly melancholy, anger, force or
purposeful stagnation.. Think about how many different ways do you have of
delivering a sentence? Maybe 5 or 6. When thinking about this consider your
changes in pitch, volume and tonal color. Let your instrument be the tool
the produces the sound, the rest must come from within and you are not
allowed to use words.

GaryT

avrham galper wrote:

> Pianist's competitions
>
> I am reading a book called "The Great Pianists" by Harold Schonberg.
> It tells of rivalry between the pianists of the day.
> Around Mozart's time and later.
> A new pianist would blow into town bragging. A competition was arranged
> to see who was best.
> Mozart and Beethoven and many others won hands down.
> There was no talking it up but just playing.
> No need to mince words. Play and let me see what you know.
> That was good system (for those days).
> Should it come back?
>
> Avrahm Galper
>
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