Klarinet Archive - Posting 001148.txt from 2003/04

From: "Andy Raibeck" <cactus@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Spelling/pronunciation/Haydn
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 00:48:04 -0400

Tony Pay wrote:

> > What would be the result if we took such liberty with our expression
> > of written music? Or do we perhaps already do so? I haven't given it
> > much thought, actually ...
>
> There certainly seems to be the notion amongst some people that it's our
> job to do something different from what's written; and some people even
> think that our job is to *change* what's written, either by producing an
> edition or by pencilling in our own markings.
>
> I don't think it's our job to do either of these things, as I've posted
> here very often.

Yes, you've stated this many times, but on what basis do you make this statement (I
don't recall seeing the supporting rationale)?

Granted, my knowledge of musical history woldn't even fill a thimble. However, it is
my understanding that (as an example), when Mozart wrote his Clarinet Concerto, he
deliberately left out much in the way of articulation, leaving it up to the soloist
to decide.

I read somewhere that, at least in the Baroque era, it was common practice for
performers to add their own ornamentations to the music. Of course, just because I
read it somewhere doesn't make it so, so it could be wrong; but on the other hand, it
doesn't seem unreasonable, either. Can you speak to that?

How many original manuscripts do we have of all known compositions? It appears to me
that there is a lot of scholarly work underway to provide "authentic" editions of
various musical works. Since it often takes years to produce these editions (and even
then, I don't think it can be stated that they are 100% accurate), the source
materials must be very difficult to come by. If we don't have the composition as
written in the composer's own hand, how can we *really* know what was intended by the
composer?

Another way to state what you have said is that there is only one correct way to play
a musical piece. Yet due to the inherent vagueness in much of the written musical
vocabulary, I do not see how this is possible. "What is written" is often subject to
interpretation because it is not explicit.

For example, take a piece whose tempo marking is simply "Allegro". Even something as
fundamental as the tempo is open to interpretation. What about a fermata? Exactly how
long does the composer expect the note to be held? Again, that is open to
interpretation. What about staccato? Exactly how short is short? Dynamics? How soft
is "piano" (besides "louder than pianissimo and softer than mezzo-piano")? If I see a
couple of measures marked with a crescendo and a diminuendo, with no dynamic marked
between, exactly how loud do I get at the height of the crescendo?

Andy

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