Klarinet Archive - Posting 000586.txt from 2005/03

From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] that nice dark sound
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 15:46:17 -0500

Ed Wojtowicz writes:

"If words are the problem, then most of the descriptors that
composers,
conductors or anyone else uses are up for grabs. We can all have
slightly different interpretations on what those words mean.
Countless
hours are spent in rehearsals coming to some common agreement as
to how
we will play things."

I see this as a mixed metaphor. Speaking about sound character
of an instrument is (or apprears to me to be) significantly
different than talking about performance issues. The three main
ingredients of performance issues are tempi, volume of sound, and
pitch, every one of which is a measureable thing. I'll admit that
not only are sensitivty, emotional intensity, musicality, and
several other things are not measureable, thus far in our
musical/cultural experience, they are often not even defineable
and characterizing them is often highly subjective; i.e., A plays
more sensitively than B... Like hell s/he does.

But sound character has two extremes, both difficult to speak
about with specificity: at one end of the spectrum, "ugly" and at
the other end "beautiful." And moving a person from the left or
the center to the right requires some very precise teaching and
direction.

Bottom line is that the descriptors used by composers,
conductors, performers in actual playing appear to me to be a
different phenomenon than the descriptors needed to clarify sound
character, and many things in performance can be measured (and
often are).

Dan Leeson
dnleeson@-----.net

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