Klarinet Archive - Posting 000415.txt from 2001/06

From: Ann H Satterfield <annhsatt@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Phrasing and cocktail party theory
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 11:42:31 -0400

Tony,

You asked for reactions to cocktail party theory (posted 5/24).

> The analogy is apt because the property of being
> both audible and recognisable in a noisy environment is
> what is required in both domains. [Mozart and cocktail party]

I've had a bit more experience and time to put my thoughts together.
The vocal connection is important.

When I was a teenager, I enjoyed visiting a retired couple who were
summer neighbors. They both would talk at the same time, sometimes
different subjects. I was able to keep up because they both talked
fairly slow. (I joked to my parents that it was good music training.)

you wrote [cocktail]:
> ...see 'beginning-oriented phrasing' as a
> perfectly natural point of view, and cannot understand what
> all the fuss is about.
When I first read Phrasing in Contention 2 years ago, the beginning
oriented phrasing made sense to me. It clarified and organized what I
was working toward in classical 'style'.
I was finally out of the romantic phrasing ghetto.

It explained how to have vigor and elegance at the same time.

Choral/ vocal musicians seem to find this 'obvious'. Not the singers
don't sometimes fall into the habit of indiscriminate swell (middle or
end oriented (from organ term swell)) phrasing--and sometimes sound
absurd.
But reflecting back on the musicians who I have wanted to emulate, most
have a strong vocal background, even though I met them in instrumental
settings. This is why I enjoy the organist/choir director at our church.
He is very sensitive and clear about character, phrasing and timbre.

Words-- both sound and meaning-- give more clues about phrasing choices.
Our church choir just sang Mozart "Veni sancte spiritus" (K.47) for
Pentecost. Beginning oriented phrasing is fairly easy & obvious for
words,
VE-ni SANC-te SPIR-Ri-tuuuus. ( The editor? did feel the need to put
accents on the notes for the beginning of each word. ) A-le-lu-ia is
not built in beginning oriented but the rhythm and spirit of the piece
make AA-le-Lu-ia clear and effective. (Alleluia is very often emphasized
: Aaa-le-LU-ia. Handel's famous Hal-le-LUH-ia the LU is strongest, the
beginning syllable Ha works best with a strong, clear, rhythmic HA
beginning.)

Back to the main point, I am also applying BoPhrasing to baroque with
good effect. Thinking of instruments of the time (and the experience of
playing, on a simple level, flute a bec), keeping in mind the definite
beginning of sound on the instruments that sustain is possible and swell
isn't. Phrase energy/direction has to be conveyed in other ways than
crescendo.

One of the distinctions from baroque to classical is ability to have more
graduations of dynamics and the development and use of instruments to
play crescendo --as a special effect.

And taking this from another angle, think of Chopin played on
harpsichord.
Good for a laugh?

Ann

(For younger students I am substituting lunchroom for cocktail party.)

Ann Satterfield
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Central Florida~~~~~~~
Principal clarinet, Imperial SO & Music Manager, ISO
Adjunct Faculty & Instrumental Assistant PolkCC

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