Klarinet Archive - Posting 000805.txt from 2001/09

From: SDSCHWAEG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Tenuto as force
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 16:44:34 -0400

In a message dated 9/25/01 3:18:36 PM Central Daylight Time,
dnietham@-----.edu writes:

<< always thought of this as Tony W did - hold the note full value. I was
surprised a few years back to discuss this with a string player and
discover that, as a bowing indication, string players are taught
(according to this *violist* anyway!) that the note is held for full
value, well sustained, and also given more emphasis at its beginning,
more in weight of the note beginning than in the "point" of the
articulation.

IIRC, this violist also said that a series of notes with tenuto markings
are usually played with changing bow direction, giving more separation
and emphasis than dots under a slur, which are "pulsed" by the bow in the
same direction.

It's this sort of attention to detail that allows string players to hold
up a rehearsal for minutes on end discussing changes in the bowing!! ;-)
>>
When I'm faced with an ambiguous articulation marking, I sometimes ask my
son, a violinist, how he would bow the passage. I often get interesting
insights from observing him, especially if he resets the bow (i.e. two
downbows in a row). Whenever I get some free time (maybe in my next life!
:) ), I'd like to study string bowing in more detail and see how I could
relate this to clarinet articulation. Has anybody done a study like this
already that I might read?
Speaking of the tenuto marking, depending on context I often interpret
this as an agogic accent and sustain the note just fractionally longer than
indicated.
Sue Schwaegler

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