Klarinet Archive - Posting 000546.txt from 2010/09

From: Jennifer Jones <helen.jennifer@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Improvising in Mozart's clarinet music
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:33:57 -0400

Hey! I thought there ought to be an eingang after the fermata (bar
127 imslp) in the first movement! The thing that made me say second
mvt was that Wikipedia indicated there is a cadenza in the second
movement. I accepted that on the basis of another fermata there.

-Jennifer

On Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 12:39 AM, Diego Casadei <casadei.diego@-----.com> w=
rote:

[snip]

> On the side of the concerto, I would prefer to spend some time
> investigating about different possibilities for the "cadenze",
> expecially on the two which are inserted in the first movement. =A0If you
> consider the piano concertos, for example, they are available with
> several variations, all of them being quite long and presenting again a
> lot of material from the original Mozart themes. =A0Still, in the clarinet
> concerto, at most we usually play a few notes to add few seconds only.
> (Again, this is in tune with the "sacred" view of the music which I've
> been taught in my life.)
>
> Cheers,
> Diego
>
>
>
> Dan Leeson wrote:
>> One way to begin is to study Jazz improvisation. Larry Combs, who is a
>> fantastic jazz player, uses the same skill to improvise in Mozart
>> performances.
>>
>> Next, get a score of any Mozart piano concerto that Levin has recorded a=
nd
>> study the score while listening to him play until you eyeballs hurt. You
>> need to become very familiar with what Mozart wrote and how you can pres=
ent
>> the same material without wandering off into cyberspace. =A0Keep it simp=
le. If
>> someone who knows the composition well recognizes that you have improvis=
ed,
>> you have done too much. Less is more.
>>
>> Third, examine the third and fourth measure of the clarinet solo in K. 6=
22.
>> That is where the clarinetist enters for the first time after the
>> orchestra's long introduction. The third measure consists of two notes,
>> which are repeated: f-d, f-d. The question you want to face is, "How can=
I
>> play the second of the f-d pair in a way that is different from the firs=
t"?
>> Find 25 ways to play the second f-d that makes it different from the fir=
st.
>> This is the "wax on, wax off" method of learning how to improvise. You w=
ill
>> say, "what does this have to do with improvisation?" and I say, "wax on,=
wax
>> off."
>>
>> Now consider the next measure of the clarinet solo. It is nothing more t=
han
>> a "c" followed by a "b." =A0Find 25 different ways to get from the c to =
the b.
>> Reject all that are too busy, and replace them with very simple ways. For
>> example: c-edcb. =A0How about c-dcdb. In both cases, figure out a rhythm=
that
>> works with this suggestion. =A0And you can't use these two in the 25 you=
are
>> trying to invent. I own them. =A0They are copyrighted.
>>
>> Finally this: whenever you come to the end of a phrase, find some an
>> interesting way to come to the end of the phrase differently than simply
>> arriving there as suggested by the composer.
>>
>> It is not simple. We clarinetists are trained to play what is written and
>> are given very little opportunity encourage to move away from that dictu=
m.
>>
>> Dan Leeson.
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