Klarinet Archive - Posting 000560.txt from 2002/09

From: w9wright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Composer/Performer or Notation/Performance?
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 15:06:39 -0400

<><><><> Tony Pay wrote:
Notice that this way of looking at the situation includes the notion
that, in some contexts, extramusical actions might be part of a piece. I
once played a performance of an ensemble piece by Kagel during which it
came to me that I should burst into tears on stage and stop playing.

<><> Tony Wakefield wrote:
were you putting your own interpretation onto what you thought should be
<your own> personal portrayal of a particular section of the music?

I'm not attempting to speak for Tony Pay ... in fact, I'm still
processing what he said --- but it seems clear to me that the above is
**exactly** what Tony was aiming at!

That is, the distinction is not between "me vs. the composer" or "me vs.
what is written", but rather between what's notated on paper and how to
bring it alive in the music. Under certain circumstances, it can
happen that some action other than producing notes will convey what the
music says.

A good example was ClarinetFest 2000, in which Andrew Firth made his
appearance by 'dancing' joyfully down the aisle while playing 'fff' ---
rather than walking somberly out onto the stage from the wings. It
happened that he stopped 12" from me (I was on the aisle) and he danced
his horn in front of my nose while he played a strong and melodic jazz
line. With that act, he communicated the New Orleans jazz
joie-de-vivre spirit to me more effectively than could've been
accomplished any other way.

....again, nobody (publisher or composer) wrote those instructions on
his sheet music, but this is not a useful distinction. It was reading
the notations and then deciding how to communicate them.

When you think about it, every musician knows the value of visually
holding a final note after the music has stopped. Perhaps clarinetists
do this more often because we have a good pointing instrument.
(Cellists, by comparison, have to point their nose in the air or some
such.)

I didn't mean to ramble, but violating the printed music --- such as
omitting a few notes while sobbing --- could be a good illustration of
what Tony was saying when he spoke of "wielding the knife" effectively.

Cheers, thoughtfully,
Bill

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