Klarinet Archive - Posting 000089.txt from 2001/12

From: "Patricia Smith" <pattiesmith@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Beethoven 2, embellish Larghetto?
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 07:53:06 -0500

Dan Leeson wrote:

To this day I will ask a conductor if he or she would object to me
improvising in performances of the Mozart Requiem, the Gran Partitta,
etc. Some object. Others don't.

Zinman is right on the money and he is lucky to have a performer who can
do it effectively.

Thank you, Mr. Leeson. So much of our music from this period is played
without life because, IMO, people do not imbue it with life. Part of that
life, IMHO, is improvisation. One of my earliest teachers taught me that
cadenzi during this period were short, improvised sections. For me, this
was such a relief to hear, as I had always felt somewhat restrained by the
insistence on absolute mechanical perfection above all else in classical
music (or so it seemed to me a lot of times).

I do not pretend to be a fabulous improviser, but when I do have the
opportunity, I attempt to make my improvisations fit the rest of the piece
as far as thematic material, rhythm and other musical aspects are concerned.
Of course, I tend to improvise on the spot, and prefer not to write out my
cadenzas, unless I am asked to. I do not consider this practice of writing
cadenzas out to be "true" improvisation. Being a true performer when asked,
however, I do whatever my "boss" (whoever is paying my salary) asks me to
do!

Patricia A. Smith
pattiesmith@-----.net

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