Klarinet Archive - Posting 000113.txt from 2004/05

From: Allen Levin <alevin@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Questions on Bartok Concerto for Orchestra
Date: Thu, 6 May 2004 15:24:49 -0400

Dan,

That was a long and interesting answer to the wrong question. I
was only talking to the subject of the articulation of two similar
phrases. (the second question.) My reasoning was that (a) both of my
copies of the score show the same articulation as described; therefore I
have no reason to believe that Bartok intended otherwise; and (b) the
written articulation sounds "right" to me when I hear it. THAT means that
I believe that Bartok was in command of his musical vocabulary so he knew
what he was writing. Regardless of that, it is my responsibility to play
what he wrote.

I suppose that we could get into an argument about the accuracy
of the score(s) of many composers. I can't tell you that I've never
"corrected" something that seemed terribly wrong. But I'm never
comfortable doing it. Look at all of the problems with the Gran Partitta.

As to using the A for that passage. I know of nothing attributed
to Bartok's mouth or pen to suggest that he would permit the A at the
suggested point, so I've never done it. But I haven't played it in 30 years
and am leaving it to others to engage in another long discussion of the ethics.

is played.At 09:46 AM 5/6/04 -0700, you wrote:
>Allen's response to the question posed originally is very
>interesting and revealing.

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