Klarinet Archive - Posting 000367.txt from 2006/10

From: X-UH-MailScanner-r.n.taylor@-----.uk
Subj: RE: [kl] For the begginger in improvisation
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:18:14 -0500

I also thought that Laurence's response slightly under-estimated the nature
of improvisation. I doubt whether anyone would dispute that practice can
produce a repertoire of ticks and tricks that can be strung together in some
form and that might even sound very acceptable. That could also be said for
written composition. The aim, however, is not to just fill a period of
silence with some passable sounds, but to try and make something beautiful
and/or surprising happen there and then, on the spot, that grows out of the
music you've been playing. To do this you have to take a risk that whatever
you've embarked on might not work or you might fail to resolve things back
to the written material because you've lost the logic of your musical
syntax. If - by skill, talent or good fortune - you find yourself playing
something that really works and you feel in your bones makes absolute sense
then that's when the safety net of all your practice is no longer there. All
that matters is to sustain that moment of clarity. It's a kind of special
event that audiences sense just as quickly as the performer, and they will
also sense any slight dishonesty if you settle for an easy option. So there
you are and there they are and 'bravo' to you if you can find the path
through without disappointing either them or yourself.

Noel

-----Original Message-----
From: dnleeson [mailto:dnleeson@-----.net]
Sent: 27 October 2006 01:34
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: RE: [kl] For the begginger in improvisation

I'm not quite sure about Laurence Beckhardt's comments, which rejected the
idea of "prepared improvisations" being an oxymoron and also the notion of
"[really] impetuous" improvisaitons. When I read his comments on the 25th, I
tried to figure out some way to eliminate what I perceive as a communication
problem between us. But I was so uncertain about the nature of that
difficulty that I waited, now for three days, to let it mull around in the
back of my head.

On one point, he is quite correct when he says, "Levin's improvisation
results from careful study and preparation." Can't argue with that. In fact,
in my own case, which is miles behind Levin's abilities, I have a pocketful
of cliches in terms of turns, grace notes, fixed melodic passage,
particuarly those those that work back to the tonic, and I know where and
how to put them in place. And I may, or may not, pull a cliche from my
pocket whenever I feel like it.

<SNIP>

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