Klarinet Archive - Posting 000212.txt from 2009/03

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Glissando vs. portamento (was: Rhapsody in Blue)
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:54:36 -0400

At 09:55 PM 3/29/2009, Fred Sheim wrote:

>><snip>
>> >
>> >Unfortunately, MANY composers do not know this and continue to
>> write the words incorrectly, and often interchangably. This
>> creates many interpretive problems when deciding whether to slide or not.
>
><snip>
>
>This seems true- I have been through a LOT of music in my 50 years
>of playing, and can't remember ever seeing "portamento" - its always "gliss."
>
>-- How about the final run of the Copland? It starts out a gliss
>(the notes are written out, and then ends "gliss" up to the final
>d. Should that be "port"?
>
>- I have never seen the part, in Copland's "El Salon Mexico" (I may
>have the wrong work here) there is a DOWNWARD "portamento". How is
>that indicated.
>BTW, In December, I heard this played by two PIANOS at Carnegy
>Hall. The downward slide then by definition became a downward gliss!
>
>(I wish I could play piano like that. )

I believe portamento is exclusively a string term, and refers to
smoothly gliding from one note to another in a melodic passage, the
two notes being relatively close to each other. Listening to
classical works recorded in the 1930's you hear quite a bit of it,
although it fell out of vogue later. Glissandi are generally longer,
going between more widely separated notes that are not necessarily
connected melodically (as in the Rhapsody).

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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