Klarinet Archive - Posting 000475.txt from 2010/11

From: Jennifer Jones <helen.jennifer@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Text, meaning and interpretation
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2010 00:30:57 -0500

On Sat, Nov 27, 2010 at 8:09 AM, Martin Baxter <martinbaxter1@-----.com> wrote:
>
> On 26 Nov 2010, at 22:52, Jennifer Jones wrote:
>
> On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 2:15 PM, Martin Baxter <martinbaxter1@-----.com> wro=
te:
>>
>> Tony's (as always) pertinent comments lead to the oft quoted:
>> "Even when we use the correct instruments, study the historical evidence=
and attempt to reproduce what we think the composer would have heard we ca=
nnot listen to eighteenth or nineteenth century music with 18th century ear=
s,
>> "...so why bother trying".
>
> Why not try? =A0Or just play around with it and find stuff that is
> pleasing. =A0otherwise life can get boring.
>
> Jennifer,
> =A0In this quotation 'ears' is a metaphor. What it means is that we canno=
t regain the attitude of times past when certain dischords were much more s=
hocking to the listener than they are to us today- the diminished seventh i=
s an obvious example. Nor, although we may know from study that it is there=
, can we we relive the shock of a Renaiissance churchgower who suddenly rea=
lises that the Cantus Firmus of an anthem is a well known (contemporary) dr=
inking song. One can study cultural attitudes of the past; one cannot reliv=
e them.
> Martin

Oh, I'm in cloud cuckoo land, using 18th century ears to distinguish
between instruments designed to center 3 Hz apart from one another.
That is also a reference to a post that I wrote, but failed to send.
I shall send it momentarily.
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