Klarinet Archive - Posting 000634.txt from 2001/05

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] The 'cocktail party' theory of classical music
Date: Sat, 26 May 2001 03:47:43 -0400

On Fri, 25 May 2001 09:09:59 -0700 (PDT), Bilwright@-----.net said:

> Clearly there's a difference between how an individual note should be
> attacked and supported vs. how an entire phrase should be attacked and
> supported, but my gut reaction (for whatever little it's worth) is
> that emphasis on the beginning of a phrase is a defect more often than
> a virtue --- the sign of a novice --- unless the melody or the
> expressional instruction specifically asks for it.

Yes, the beginning of a phrase can often be defective in non-expert
playing. But usually that defect is one of the beginning being
inappropriate to the context in which it occurs. What is 'wrong' about
how someone plays the beginning of, say, the written C at the start of
the slow movement of the Mozart might well be what would be 'right'
about their playing of the written C at the start of the last movement
of Weber II.

Players need to have a repertoire of beginnings. I think that's
understressed in current clarinet pedagogy -- and indeed, in current
clarinet playing, particularly of the classical repertory.

> All told, it makes me chuckle a bit that you and I find ourselves
> switching roles here (just a little bit), and yet I'm sure that each
> of us deems himself to be entirely self-consistent. This time
> around, you're thinking about the similarities between spoken language
> and music, and I'm headed in the opposite direction.

Thanks for responding, Bill.

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

... If God dropped acid, would he see people?

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