Klarinet Archive - Posting 000562.txt from 2002/09

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: [kl] Kagel
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 16:03:54 -0400

On Wed, 25 Sep 2002 18:23:51 +0100, tony-w@-----.uk said:

> > 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. When I did so, covering my face with my hands, I
> > felt a consoling arm round my shoulders for a moment.

> > At the end, my colleagues told me that it was Kagel, who had got
> > down from the rostrum himself.
>
> What on earth caused you to do this?

It seemed an appropriate response at the time.

> Was it instructed in the part?

Not at all. But...

I should say that Kagel often includes theatrical elements in his works.
In one of the pieces we were playing, he pretended as conductor to have
a heart attack towards the end, and collapsed, leaving the final few
bars to be directed by the first violin.

The piece in which I broke down was called "Ludwig Van", and was a
scoring for ensemble of a particularly evocative part of a Beethoven
piano sonata. In fact, it was the theme of a Theme and Variations,
repeated around a dozen times. We were improvising around it.

The idea itself caused some controversy in rehearsal, because the
pianist found it difficult to tolerate what he experienced as the
'ruining' of a moving piece he was particularly close to. Kagel,
though, was very sympathetic -- he's a wonderful man -- and in the end
the pianist found himself able to make significant contributions to the
end result.

> Or as Bill Wright enquires, were you putting your own interpretation
> onto what you thought should be <your own> personal portrayal of a
> particular section of the music?

I just found that it happened. As I said, the piece we were
embellishing is quite a touching one.

> Was this spontaneous?

Yes.

> When Kagel put his arm around you, was this part of the performance,
> or was this genuine concern for your well being?

Dunno. He didn't say.

> By stopping playing, did you omit from playing anything?

I was allowed by the rules of the piece to do that.

> What was the reaction of the audience?

I don't remember.

> Did anyone think of you as being foolish?

There was a review in a magazine that accused the performance of 'not
taking the music seriously'. The amusing aspect of that was that the
reviewer wasn't actually present at the concert! I wrote a response to
the review, I recall, which was published in the magazine.

> Was it indeed a humorous piece of music?

No.

> Sorry for so many questions.

You're welcome. I should point out that the spectrum of music in the
concert was quite wide, and included some quite conventional pieces.

I *loved* working with Kagel, even though it was quite difficult music
to play, some of it. I saw him recently in Siena, alas only for a short
while.

He has a wonderful laugh, which rings out over an Indian restaurant to
great effect.

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

.... Everyone thinks I'm psychotic, except for my friends deep inside the earth.

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