Klarinet Archive - Posting 001018.txt from 2001/02

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Landler of Mozart
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 15:40:25 -0500

It is clear that I am way off base with respect to Mozart writing no
Landler. I am now staring at the music for the six dances of K. 606
(which isn't very far away from K. 581 in time) and they are clearly
labeled as Landler. What is also true, and far more important, is the
fact that Landler 1, 4, 5, and 6 all have a thematic character not at
all dissimilar to that of the 2nd trio of K. 581.

So even if this trio is not marked as a Landler (which we will never
know because the manuscript is lost) it seems to have the very character
shown in 4 of the 6 dances of K. 606.

Now having had that matter stuffed into my head by a lot of good people
on this list, we now have two matters that need discussion. The first
is that all the authorities on the Landler state that it is a SLOW dance
in triple meter, and the second has to do with contemporary performance
practices when playing such a movement.

Tempo first: if the Landler is slow, how does this fact affect the
playing of the minuet and trio 1 of K. 581. Do we have a three section
movement in two different tempi; i.e., one for the minuet and the first
trio, and another for the second trio? What precedent exists for such
an in-movement tempo change. In fact, the tempo change would have to
occur twice; i.e., once going into trio 2 and once at the da capo at the
end of trio 2.

I'm very uncomfortable with such tempo changes. But let's see what
others have to say.

Performance practice second: whenever I hear that trio played as if it
were a landler, it seems to me that the characteristic I hear most often
is that the player stretches the measures out with slow pickups leading
to fast parts. Specifically beat 3 is played slowly and beats 1 and 2
of the following measure played more raplidly.

As a dance form, I am particularly concerned by a movement played with
changes of tempo occurring so frequently within the movement. It seems
to me that it would drive the dancers crazy.

If, as has been suggested, the Landler turned into the waltz, how many
waltzing couples do you see changing the tempo from measure to measure?

So, then. What constitutes the things a player must do when executing a
Landler?
--
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** Dan Leeson **
** leeson0@-----.net **
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