Klarinet Archive - Posting 000368.txt from 2006/10

From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] For the begginger in improvisation
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:20:50 -0500

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.

In sum and substance, I have no idea what improvisations I will
or won't use, or even if I will do any improvisations at all.
What I do, when I do it, is genuine spur of the moment,
unplanned, unrehearsed (though I have used those cliches in the
past) and I know that they will or won't work under this or that
occasion.

I just don't know what to call these acts if not impetuous. Were
I to do the same ornaments, night after night, unchanged that
would certainly be the antithesis of impetuous. And when I hear
an artist do just that (because I played three performances of a
particular work with the artist, and I've even heard those
prepared ornaments on recordings), I simply come to the
conclusion that they are not improvising but simply composing
something to be attached on top of the Mozart text.

I'm not sure that Laurence and I will ever be able to smooth over
this bump in communications, but I have tried to explain myself a
little better.

Both my original note and Laurence's response are contained
below.

Dan Leeson
DNLeeson@-----.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Laurence Beckhardt [mailto:lbeckhardt@-----.net]
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 6:48 PM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] For the begginger in improvisation

i don't understand why "prepared improvisation" should be
considered an oxymoron, and I'm even less convinced by the notion
of "really impetuous" improvisation

I'm certain that Levin's "improvisation" results from careful
study and preparation - to be truely
impetuous, we'd have to accept interpolating Bud Powell into a
Mozart concerto

Even the notion that Jazz consists of pure (impetuous?)
improvisation is false, and denies the
hard work, training, preparation, use of conventions, forumlas
and "licks" that provide the supporting structure for good jazz
improvisation

--- dnleeson <dnleeson@-----.net> wrote:

Because there are almost no detailed books about improvisation in
music of the classical period, the clarinettist who wants to
learn something about how to do it is reduced to listening to
performances by people who do it, some well, some less well. But
at least one can listen and, perhaps learn. Without some
practical examples, one is left in an unfortunate limbo.

Recently, Bob Levin, who is perhaps the leading proponent of
really impetuous and not prepared improvisation has released a
recording of works that most clarinet players probably have never
heard, which is a good basis for understanding how it is done
because you will have few preconceptions. (By the way, the term
"prepared improvisation" is an oxymoron, but I couldn't find
another way to say what I needed to say.)

There are three piano sonatas, K. 279, 280, and 281. Mozart was
19 when he wrote them. Each has exactly three movements, and
each movement has two sections, each of which is repeated. So out
of three sonatas of 6 sections each, you get three sonatas of 12
sections each. This gives a wonderful laboratory to see and hear
how the first and second presentations of the same section differ
from each other, because Levin does some remarkable
improvisations in EVERY repeated section. It also shows how 18th
century composers could write 10 minutes worth of music and
produce something that would take 20 minutes to play.

The only problem with his performance is that his ornaments are
often so subtle and completely in character that you really don't
know that what he added was entirely his invention and not
Mozart's explicit recommendation. And to get around the problem,
you will need a copy of the three sonatas so that you can follow
them while listening. Pay careful attention to the slow movement
of K. 280. Now that is the improvisor's dream piece.

The recording is Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, 82876-84236-2 and it
comes with two disks. One contains the three sonatas and the
other contains a most interesting lecture by Levin on these early
Mozart sonatas and the several distinct differences between the
modern and 18th century pianos as well as the development of the
modern piano, which is a glorious piece of engineering, to say
nothing of a wonderful musical instrument. But the 18th century
piano is also a thing of beauty, too.

Go. Learn.

Dan Leeson
>

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