Klarinet Archive - Posting 000527.txt from 2003/08

From: "Avi Rostov" <musictek@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Articulation in the Weber Concertino
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 01:19:42 -0400

Way to go, Annie!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anne Lenoir" <AnneLenoir@-----.net>
Subject: [kl] Articulation in the Weber Concertino

> I never thought that I would be referring to an article, but this one
> has got me thinking. I recently recovered from my "performance anxiety"
> problem. On Monday, Aug 11, I played the Weber Concertino with our wind
> ensemble, "The Little London Winds" in Soda Springs Park, here in
> Manitou Springs, Colorado, for our final summer concert. Not only was I
> not anxious, but I actually enjoyed playing. Before I went down the hill
> to the park for the concert, I listened to my recording of Jon Manasse
> playing "The Complete Works of Weber" and I noticed that he did very
> little articulating on the fast passages, and that he took them pretty
> fast, faster than I learned the piece as a child. Anyhow, in recent
> years I have had problems with fast articulation, partically from
> neurological damage from high blood pressure. I decided to play
> Concertino with practically no articulation, and it was a lot easier for
> me.
> Yesterday I was browsing through Volume 30, Number 1 of "The
> Clarinet" from December, 2002. I noticed an article on pp. 50-61 "Carl
> Maria von Weber's Clarinet Concertos" by Frank Heidlberger. I don't want
> to go into a lengthy discussion about the article, but I do want to
> mention that Heidlberger had some copies of segments of the original
> scores on p.60. He mentions the fact that the original scores were
> marked without articulation, and goes on to talk about Weber's
> friendship with Baermann, and showing the later articulations that were
> created by Baermann. I thought to myself, "I really think that it is
> o.k. for a person to customize their own articulations when playing
> works of Weber." I know that some people on the List may not agree with
> me, but I don't care. I'm tired of tripping over my tongue and fingers,
> and very happy to be capable of performing the Concertino in public with
> a sense of wellbeing.
> However, after I finished the performance, I did get quite a long
> round of applause and had to stand up 3 times in the band shell. This
> doesn't usually happen during our concerts. After I sat down for good,
> lightning struck, and we had to play an extra 20 minutes in the band
> shell during a very severe thunder storm.
> Well, last night they held auditions for the Pikes Peak
> Philharmonic. I had scheduled an audition, but I wasn't sure whether I
> should go or not, due to my previous experiences with extreme
> "performance anxiety". I decided to go an "test out" my alleged recovery
> from nervousness and played the Weber. I had started to get nervous. I
> checked my pulse, and it was right at 120. I could have whistled
> "Colonel Bogey". I was o.k. as soon as I hit the first note. The Pikes
> Peak Philharmonic is a community orchestra that rehearses every Tuesday
> evening. The audition was for subbing for the first clarinetist, who
> will be missing a few concerts this year. The conductor loved my
> clarinet playing and told me that they would be using me this season. He
> gave me a copy of the programs for the season, and it looks like they
> will be playing some great works. ANNIE