Klarinet Archive - Posting 000717.txt from 2000/12

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] Jazz artistic achievement [was, Peplowski continued]
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 23:37:25 -0500

At 08:13 AM 12/13/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>It should be noted that, in his day, Beethoven was considered to be a
>brilliant improviser at the piano. While he did not use "jazz" rhythms as
>such, the other aspects of improvising performance, using rhythmic,
>melodic, and harmonic variations on the presented themes, whether his own
>or others', cannot be greatly different from what jazz players do today.

Both Mozart and Beethoven were considered brilliant improvisers. I don't
know if Wagner was.

The discussion comparing jazz - a spontaneous and complex form of
improvisation over a musical structure - as somehow less artistically
creative than "classical music" is almost comical in it's
assertions. Aside from the fact that learning to improvise in a variety of
styles (every bit as diverse as learning to play literature stylistically
from the baroque to the present) is easily as difficult as learning to play
von Weber on a 6 key clarinet. Yet the two skills are simply not
comparable. They focus on two entirely different forms of musical
expression and music making. Such a comparison discussion - identifying
one as at a lower or higher level - or a "different level" (whatever that
means exactly) is a cultural bias against the artistic achievement of the
jazz musician, and, sadly, this misrepresentation of jazz goes back many
decades. Unfortunately, such discrimination is not limited to the
occasional opinions of a classical musician on a listserv. More often
than not, because of the fact that few classical musicians can successfully
perform jazz and classical music terrifically well - it is easier to put
down or harshly judge one as being inferior to the other in some way. We
are lucky and blessed to have wonderful musicians among us who can and do
perform both forms of music - and it is interesting that they do not view
their forays into jazz as "lesser artistic achievement" than their
classical achievements. We all know of Wynton Marsalis' double Grammy
award for jazz and classical the same year. The interviews with him were
very interesting in that he felt that his jazz work was much more difficult
and creatively inspiring to him than the classical work. This is just one
example of a person who devoted an enormous amount of his life to
understanding and playing jazz. While he has gone on record to state that
he enjoys jazz more than classical literature, he makes the effort to
perform both well. That he does not put down one or the other is a
testament to his understanding and appreciation for both. There are many
other examples - of which the list could probably name............

Being a complete musician requires courage and depth of
thought/character. It also means being honest with yourself and
others. There is no point to putting down someone else's work to boost
one's position of authority in another area. If one cannot play jazz well
- at least recognition of a skill and creative expression that is highly
regarded is a wonderful example of how the musician is still complete.

Thanks for posting Bill - and reminding us of Beethoven's work.

Sincerely,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Professor of Clarinet
Director, Symphonic Winds
Advisor, IWU Recording Services
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
Phone: (309) 556-3268
Fax: (309) 556-3121

---------------------------------------------------------------------
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