Klarinet Archive - Posting 000653.txt from 2004/01

From: Tony@-----.demon.co.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] [clarinet] Articulation for the END OF TIME
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 05:42:57 -0500

On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 21:26:54 -0500, jvarineau@-----.com said:

> When are "discrepancies" discrepancies, and when are they intentional? The
> problem comes in discerning which composers were careful enough in the
> editing process and which were not, and finding the information to know.
>
> Hence my posting.
>
> As I wrote in that post:
>
> > "The articulations in Fouillis d'arcs-en-ciel are virtually 100%
> > consistent, making the inconsistencies in the other movements even more
> > troublesome.

Well, I'd look at that the other way round. The fact that "virtually 100%
consistency" is attained in a particular movement of the piece is evidence
that the editing process is working well; and *that* means that the different
articulations found in places in the other movements are almost certainly
intentional, and therefore not troublesome in that way.

They may well be troublesome in another way, of course; but as I've said here
quite often, I welcome the 'trouble' of working out what I think the piece
requires of me in regard to a particular piece of notation -- perhaps even
especially if it's a problematic piece of notation.

> So, Tony I would appreciate you pointing me in the right direction so
> that I can investigate, in your words "the obvious care with which the
> edition was produced."

I'm afraid I don't know where the original manuscript is, even. As you say,
there is a new book about the piece that doubtless contains such information.
By "the obvious care with which the edition was produced", I meant the
clarity of the printing, the faithful correspondence between parts and score,
the intelligent cues and the meticulous performance instructions from the
composer, all of which I'd say argue against the idea of the discrepancies
being unintentional.

I did once perform the piece at a Messiaen festival in London which the
composer attended; but although he was there at the beginning of the concert,
he didn't stay for the second half, which was when we played, preferring to
go off for dinner.

Two anecdotes concerning Messiaen:

I can't remember which chamber group the first one concerns; but anyway this
group had made a recording of the Quartet for the End of Time which they
wanted to give to Messiaen as a mark of their esteem.

He took it, unwrapped it, signed it -- and handed it back.

The other anecdote doesn't concern Messiaen in person; but around thirty
years ago, a trumpet player who was only playing in the Messiaen piece in an
orchestral programme containing various pieces by other French composers
wanted to know whether he could go home at the interval of the rehearsal. So
he went up to the conductor, who was some Frenchman or other.

"Excuse me, Maestro, but -- will you be doing the Messiaen any more?"

An expression of horror and anguish appeared on the conductor's face. He
gripped the startled trumpet player's arm.

"Messiaen est mort???!!!" he cried.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.demon.co.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

... What are you doing?!? The message is over, GO AWAY!

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org