Klarinet Archive - Posting 000215.txt from 2003/02

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Castelnuovo-Tedesco Question
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2003 08:57:14 -0500

klarinetteman@-----.com wrote,
>
> > Play C naturals in measure 3 and 4!!!! Dr. Gillespie at UNT got a
> > copy of the manuscript and C natural is written in the composers own
> > hand. That is why you will hear a C natural played on Bob Waltzel's
> > wonderful recording of the piece.

The composer's handwriting is not necessarily the last word. Composers
sometimes make mistakes when re-copying their own handwritten scores. I
think few composers write and edit their own work neatly enough to send the
final *working* draft to a publisher. If the composer must re-copy in a
rush, bad things can happen.

Tony Pay wrote,
>Why is C# printed, on both occasions, then? Did James Gillespie (yes?)
>give any explanation of that?

That brings up another issue: When I studied medieval bibliography,
Professor Linda VanNorden taught the rule that, when confronted with
conflicting texts, prefer the *least* likely possibility. The reason is that
copyists tend to take it upon themselves to decide that unusual things are
mistakes, and will fix them, when they're not errors. So I'm sitting on the
fence like the Mugwump.

> And, where did you find the information?

Exactly. Is there any Castelnuovo-Tedesco correspondence in print? Maybe
somewhere he commented on the error (his or the copyist's). If I were in
this spot, without time or resources to do exhaustive research, I'd follow
Tony's advice:

>In a competition, no one can *expect* you to do anything other than what
>is printed. Since in this case that means you doing what you want to
>do, there is no dilemma.

Lelia

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