Klarinet Archive - Posting 001293.txt from 2000/12

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] technique & musical interpretation
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2000 20:30:44 -0500

On Thu, 28 Dec 2000 05:14:24 -0800 (PST), leupold_1@-----.com said:

> --- Jennifer Jones <JJONES@-----.EDU> wrote:
>
> > I was reading through one of my Chrstmas presents (a book of M. C.
> > Escher's prints, annotated with excerpts from letters and lectures
> > he gave.) and ran into this. It seemed particularly pertinent to
> > the recent debate about technique and musical interpretation.
> > <snip>
>
> Indeed, it sums up my point very nicely: technique and musical
> expression are mutualistic. Musical expression is facilitated and
> enhanced via one's consistent pursuit of greater technical ease, and
> technical ease is given meaning and purpose via one's development of
> musical expression. Thanks for posting that, Jennifer.

But, what Escher actually says, in Jennifer's post -- and what you
snipped -- is:

> Meanwhile, all this technique is merely a means, not an end in itself.
> The end he strives for is something other than a perfectly executed
> print. His aim is to depict dreams, ideas or problems in such a way
> that other people can observe and consider them. The illusion that an
> artist wishes to create is much more subjective and far more important
> then the objective, physical means with which he tries to create it.

The point is, they're *not* 'mutualistic'. In music, the technique
*always* serves the musical ends.

Your pedagogical concern about the means is not misplaced -- except when
you make that pedagogical concern about the means more important than
pedagogical concern about the ends. (I still haven't finished my reply
to you about that.) So your mistake is not a real mistake, it's a
*pedagogical* mistake; I'll try to make that clearer when I post my
reply.

Obviously, in *reality*, your argument is *dead*. Technique clearly has
no meaning independent of musical considerations. So-called 'technique'
that doesn't serve the music, just ain't technique. What it is, is
*bullshit* -- even if it's effortless bullshit.

And don't we (musicians) just recognise that 'effortless bullshit'.

It makes me *puke*. It's the *worst thing*.

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

... Biography: One of the terrors of death.

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