Klarinet Archive - Posting 000720.txt from 2000/12

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Jazz artistic achievement [was, Peplowski continued]
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 23:37:28 -0500

On Wed, 13 Dec 2000 08:13:17 -0500, bhausmann1@-----.com said:

> 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.

Yes, improvisation has been with us much longer than jazz -- almost
certainly since the beginning of music, in fact. It must be true that
the notation of music came later than music itself, just as writing came
after speech, and though a player could still prepare in advance,
doubtless spontaneity was a significant element.

I don't know what the earliest recorded example is of someone
improvising a complex formal structure, but Bach could improvise fugues,
and Mozart and his contemporaries, sonatas; though variations and
fantasias were perhaps more popular. There were even improvising
contests!

Almost all composers improvised on some instrument (Paganini) as well as
producing written works, some of them doubtless incorporating elements
or passages previously improvised.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE GMN family artist: www.gmn.com
tel/fax 01865 553339

... If at first you don't succeed, call it Ver 1.0

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