Klarinet Archive - Posting 000213.txt from 2007/02

From: "Tony Pay" <tony.p@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Kell
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 04:17:14 -0500

On 2/22/07, dnleeson <dnleeson@-----.net> wrote:

> Exactly what did you interpret the word "Romantic" to mean when
> Kell was criticized for having been "overly Romantic"? That is
> the kind of meaningless criticism in which empty words come out
> sounding very smart.

Well, it may have been less meaningful when uttered by the person who
said it, but I spend quite a proportion of my time -- for example, an
hour or so with a student yesterday (the piece in question was
Kovacs's Hommage a Weber) -- explaining the difference between the
Romantic and Classical styles of playing music. I don't find it at
all surprising that Kell's Mozart was characterised as 'Romantic'.

Of course, to be useful, you need to give chapter and verse, and one
of my purposes in writing a review of the Kell set would be to be more
specific.

But I have to say I'm going off the idea rather; too many people here
seem inclined either to say that Kell was 'a musical genius', or that
he was rubbish.

The truth is that he was an undoubtedly talented player with certain
preoccupations, some of which one might want to emulate and some of
which one might want to reject.

We can't deal with his entire career, because that's no longer
available apart from anecdotally; but we could discuss this boxed set.

Or not.

Tony

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