Klarinet Archive - Posting 000466.txt from 2010/09
From: fred jacobowitz <fbjacobo@-----.us>
Subj: Re: [kl] Some terminology problems: Improvisation and ornamentation
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:38:31 -0400
Hear, hear! Bravo and well-said!
Fred Jacobowitz
CASE CLOSED Musical Instrument Case Repair Service
Kol Haruach Klezmer Band
Ebony and Ivory Duo
You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note.
~Doug Floyd
On Sep 17, 2010, at 11:11 AM, Dan Leeson wrote:
I thank Keith Bowen for his lengthy and detailed note about =
improvisation. But I hastily add that two things are getting mixed =
up here.
When the performer is placed in the position interpreting =
ornamentational abbreviations that the composer placed in a =
manuscript (for example a trill, an appogiatura, a grace note, etc .) =
that is the world of ornamentation. The player interprets the =
composer's ornamentational shorthand in a way that is pleasing to his/ =
her musical values and consistent with the performance practice of =
the era. We do a great deal of ornamentation whenever we play music =
of the 18th century, and there is a lot of it that has to be done in =
other eras as well. A trill in the 18th century was done one way, a =
trill in a Brahms sonata is something else again).
Ornamentation is not what I have been talking about with respect to =
improvisation. When the performer adds text to replace what the =
composer wrote, adding new material to his/her own satisfaction -- in =
effect, composing real time -- that is improvisation. One is not =
ready to consider the matter of improvisation before understanding =
what performance practices of the 18th century involved.
For example, one of the posters on this subject spoke about the =
cadenza in K. 622, making reference to two of them in the first =
movement and one in the slow movement.
THERE ARE NO CADENZAS IN K. 622 and there never have been. What is =
being called for by Mozart in the three places spoke of is a very =
distant cousin to the cadenza. It is termed a "lead-in," in German =
an Eingang (plural Eing=E4nge). And one has to know what an Eingang is =
and what the player is supposed to do when asked to execute one. To =
play a cadenza when an Eingang is requested is somewhat akin to =
sticking a finger in the eye. And the worst offender was Jaques =
Ibert who wrote a two page 5 minute cadenza for K. 622 and presumed =
that he was making a contribution of some sort.
A composer ornaments by writing an abbreviation to request something =
he wants done, and the player interprets what is meant by that =
ornament, sometimes correctly, other times incorrectly.
A player improvises and the composer provides hints to places where =
improvisation is appropriate. (If the music is florid, improvisation =
is generally not appropriate).
For example, when the composer repeats something, either immediately =
or after a period of time, he is offering the player an opportunity =
to create music not explicitly given in the text. For example, the =
third measure of the clarinetist's first entrance in K. 622. There =
is one figure repeated twice. To play both figures the same way =
misses the composer's well defined hint. The player may not want to =
improvise at that point. That's OK, but he recognize what =
opportunity is being offered to him.
The slow movement of K. 622 is of the form A-B-A. One plays the A =
section, then the B section and then the composer notes the score so =
that the A section is repeated. He generally does not write out the A =
section again, but says, "Da Capo xx measures," meaning Da Capo for =
xx measure and then leap to some other point. One would have to be a =
stone to play the two A sections the same way. But publishers produce =
the score by writing out the A section all over again, which hides =
the fact that the composer did not write that A section a second time =
and for a very good reason. He expected the section to be improvised =
upon.
This is what I referred to when I said that some players chose not to =
follow my suggestion under the assertion that to do so is "gilding =
the lily." The fact that publishers print the A section a section =
time introduces the lily on which one is advised not to gild.
So before one even considers improvisation as something you might =
want to do, you need to read about performance practice, if for no =
other reason that one learns the difference between an Eingang (how =
long is an Eingang?, what is its purpose?, what does the player do?) =
and a Cadenza (which has an entirely different purpose, is very much =
longer than a Cadenza, and requires high quality improvisatory =
abilities).
If you believe that you are ready to consider introducing =
improvisation into your performances without knowing something about =
performance practice, you are probably not yet ready. There are tons =
of books and articles written about performance practices of the =
various eras of music. More than this I cannot do.
Dan Leeson
_______________________________________________
Klarinet mailing list
Klarinet@-----.com
To do darn near anything to your subscription, go to:
http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com
_______________________________________________
Klarinet mailing list
Klarinet@-----.com
To do darn near anything to your subscription, go to:
http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com
