Klarinet Archive - Posting 000265.txt from 2001/04

From: David Glenn <notestaff@-----.de>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: [Re: [kl] Re: [Re: [kl] C clarinet]]
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 17:04:22 -0400

William Wright wrote:

> <><> Please Eric, if you are really barbarizing the parts as you
> seem to be planning, the least you can do is make a note exactly which
> changes have been made.
>
> Although I haven't attained the skills yet whereby I can approach
> substantial pieces of music, and therefore perhaps I don't 'deserve' to
> make this comment, my opinion is that it's *not* a barbarism to
> transpose a piece of music to another instrument. A statement that the
> music was originally written for <other instruments, with occasional
> editing as necessary to match the new instruments' ranges> seems
> appropriate, but "barbarism" is a strong word that seems inappropriate
> to me.
>
> I accept that transposing may change the music a bit, but so would
> playing it poorly or playing your own variation of it or otherwise
> playing it to suit your own needs and pleasures.
>
> Cheers,
> Bill
>

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bill,

Of course the publisher must think of selling the music.

What I meant was that it would be a barbarism to change the music without
comment. Publishing it transposed with only a comment that it was originally
in another key is only bordering on barbarism.

Nothing against arrangements, amateurs' playing, variations etc. On the
contrary! But when I buy a piece of music by Mozart, I would like to know
what is Mozart and what is Breitkopf or Poppmans or Fenton or whatever.

This isn't the only "barbarism" which is rampant in published music. The
normality is adding markings for articulation, dynamics, tempo,etc, changing
notes (apparent mistakes), adding or deleting repeats - all without comment!
Each of these changes may or may not be helpful but the buyer of the music is
deprived of making his own decision. I find that disgusting.

David

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