Klarinet Archive - Posting 000722.txt from 2003/02

From: Audrey Travis <vsofan@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: [kl] Shepherd on the Rock
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 11:35:22 -0500

I would agree with Tony, that a strong case can be made for shifting
focus in some intelligent way on a repeated passage. My band students
(ages 9-12) understand that repeated passages have a purpose - not
always simply to repeat, but for the purpose of doing something
different with it. They come up with some good ideas on their own, too.
Do North American audiences *get it*? At least in simple music I
certainly think they do, and even if the approach is different, it's
part of the musician's mandate to educate as well as entertain. In
connection with repeated lyrics, part of whether the audience is
sophisticated enough to appreciate instrumental/vocal balance changes
might depend on whether the audience understands the language of the
lyrics. If the melody of the same lyrics also remains the same, the
language might not matter - I think they would understand that an
emotional change is occurring.

Audrey

Neil Leupold wrote:
Your suggested justification
> for a dynamic climax at the LT resolution involves a bit of faith and 'audience mindreading', as
> it were. Are the audiences of today musically sophisticated enough to pick up on the fact that
> they're hearing repeated lyrics, and that the literal meaning of those lyrics the 2nd and 3rd time
> around defensibly takes a back seat to other musical considerations (such as the one you suggest,
> the expression of a dramatic sexual metaphor)? Sadly, I would argue that they're not, in which
> case the "thought"-fulness behind any given interpretation of the passage is lost on them (which
> is not to suggest that a thoughtful approach should not still be taken and applied). I'm
> referring more to American audiences here, and perhaps the state of musical awareness and
> appreciation is different in Europe.
>
> Neil
>
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