Klarinet Archive - Posting 000997.txt from 2003/04
From: "James Hobby" <jhobby@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Stage movements, redux
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 00:45:33 -0400
(And I'm not picking on you, Wendy. <g> Your post just happened to be the
first one I could pick up a clip from.)
My original post -- which started the current round of discussion on this --
was about what I felt were well over the top ... almost antics, I suppose,
by Sabine Meyer in a clip of the R. Strauss Romance in Eb. In particular, I
observed that she at times bent so far over that her bell amost touched the
floor! How, in Heaven's name, does anyone maintain proper control of any
instrument -- not just clarinet -- with that type of movements?
Upon seeing the clip, again (on ARTS) I think I discovered the way she does
it: The music is dubbed; at least, her part, because there were at least
twice that she took a breath and the clarinet kept playing. I know about
circular breathing, but that doesn't work when you open your mouth. <g>
At the same time, I'm not advocating everyone sitting like they have a
broomstick up their ... spine. Some -- SOME -- movement is going to happen,
if you have any emotional involvement with the music. How much is enough?
How much is too much? I haven't a clue. I always say that if the visual
effect distracts from the musical effect, that's too much. (Someone
mentioned opera singers. Boy, can you get some over the top antics, there!)
And I really think that some music lends itself more to movement than
others. A Strauss waltz, for example, often has accents in places that make
it feel normal to let your body emphasize that beat. String players, I
think, are more prone to movement than many wind players, just with the
nature of the beast. I guess, as I've said before, based on my early
religious training, "In all things, moderation."
This for some reason brought up a memory dredged up that is applicable, and
has a bit of course humor. During the obligatory course that I called Stick
Waving 101, the basic conducting course, that music majors have (had?) to
take, we had one young lady who flapped. (I couldn't watch her, beyond beat
1.) The extent of her style was for her left to mirror her right. When she
gave beat 1, her elbows flew up, and then when up and down on each beat.
The teacher tried to get her to stop, but she said that was her "style".
For the final exam, we had to rehearse a number with either the orchestra or
the wind ensemble, with five faculty members as the jury evaluating each of
us. After her rehearsal, the nicest comment I heard was that the orchestra
generally stayed together, but the teacher was disappointed when she didn't
flap hard enough to fly around the stage for effect. That, at least, as
cruel as it was, had a serious moderating effect on her "style."
Jim Hobby
>From: "Wendy" <bosma@-----.net>
>
>I think there are certain things expected from someone in a 'classical'
>setting. I've always felt that extreme movements are completely
>unnecessary. You can be moved heart and soul without having to move body.
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