Klarinet Archive - Posting 000150.txt from 2010/08

From: "=?iso-8859-1?Q?sarah=20elbaz?=" <sarah@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] =?iso-8859-1?q?Cantabile?=
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:46:08 -0400

This is fascinating. How ould you explain antabile to a non-musician?
Sarah

> -------Original Message-------
> From: Tony Pay <tony.p@-----.org>
> To: The Klarinet Mailing List <klarinet@-----.com>
> Subject: Re: [kl] Cantabile
> Sent: 16 Aug '10 19:07
> =

> =

> On 16 Aug 2010, at 19:27, Joseph Wakeling wrote:
> =

> > I've been reading a few old email discussions related to classical
> > phrasing and this particular quote leapt out at me:
> >
> >> Mozart once wrote of a certain singer: "Raaff is too much inclined to=
drop
> >> into the cantabile.=A0=A0I admit that when he was young and in his pr=
ime, this
> >> must have been very effective and have taken people by surprise.=A0=
=A0I admit
> >> also that I like it.=A0=A0But he overdoes it and so to me it often se=
ems
> >> ridiculous."
> >>
> >> Modern performances tend to start and *stay in* the cantabile, using
> >> crescendi as the default mode of expression.
> >
> > Now, I've never thought too deeply about "cantabile" -- I always rather
> > accepted it as face value as meaning "in a singing style" and generally
> > indicating a heightened degree of emotional expression on the part of
> > the performer.
> >
> > This quote makes me think that I might have to rethink that, certainly
> > where the classical interpretation of the term is concerned.
> >
> > So what would Mozart or other musicians of his time have understood
> > "cantabile" to mean ... ?
> =

> I think the quote is mine.=A0=A0So my answer is, (as in "Phrasing in Con=
tention"): 'cantabile' means 'showing the words less' for a singer, and 'a =
less 'spoken' style' for an instrumentalist.
> =

> An alternative metaphor might be, 'skating' more than 'dancing'.
> =

> But very many modern players (not all) don't know what you're talking ab=
out.=A0=A0For them, performances "tend to start and *stay in* the cantabile=
, using crescendi as the default mode of expression."
> =

> You can of course play SOME of the music cantabile, still avoid crescend=
o, yet nevertheless play expressively.=A0=A0Note that Mozart wrote, "He is =
TOO inclined to drop into the cantabile...I admit that I like it...but he O=
VERDOES it and so to me it often seems ridiculous."
> =

> Tony
> --
> Tony Pay
> 79 Southmoor Rd=A0=A0
> Oxford OX2 6RE
> tel/fax +44 1865 553339
> mobile +44 7790 532980
> tony.p@-----.org
> =

> =

> =

> =

> =

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