Klarinet Archive - Posting 000087.txt from 2011/03

From: Tom Bassett <bassettt1@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] To Baroque o philes
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2011 15:56:10 -0400


Dear Kathy,

I only really had time to listen to the first 12 minutes or so. The first piece sounded like Handel, is that true?

I'm certainly not an expert on baroque music but I can give you my personal opinions. Good thing or bad thing, Handel is the only music that I listen to. ever. I really mean that. There's obviously the occasional other song here or there plus I play music other than Handel but I listen to Handel daily and many different pieces by him for the past 6-8 months or so. (Right now my favorite is the opera Rinaldo)

I just wanted to share with you what I do when I play baroque music. (I have a recording of myself playing one of hande's oboe concertos on my youtube page w/ piano accomp Unoriginalcomposer) Baroque music is the style that I naturally connect with and find to be the best (to me) out of any other music. I regularly do research but I still don't know everything I need to, so I still just play things according to my gut and am satisfied with how it sounds. Maybe you would also like something I would say that is why I am sharing it.

I think that you could add more to the piece. For example, I change notes (within the chord), add little running passges to connect some of the large leaps, (sometimes jsut a scale sometimes scale in 3rds) add in turns and trills, and change a few rythms (perhaps sometimes changing 2 8th notes to a dotted 8th and 16th) I do this becuase from everything I read it was common practice for a performer to add things like that in. I may do it at the wrong time becuase I don't fully understand it yet but I am happy with how the piece sounds when I am finished. I also listen to what other's do in their interpretations (i've probably listened to about 8 versions of venti turbini prestate) and listen to what types of things the singers do. (btw I think you should listen to venti turbini prestate by handel from rinaldo sometime (vivica genaux is my favorite perfomer) becuase I think it would be great arranged for clarinet) I do try to reserve these ornamentations until a 2nd time rolls around but I will put some light ornamentation in right from the beginning.

For the faster sections... I think your 16th notes are very clean and even...but too clean and even. I feel safe speaking for Handel's music when I say the quarter note is very important. I beleive the first beat of of a long run of 16ths should be emphasized and let the others fall into place. maybe a little bit softer or at least think like you're making them softer. so I dont mean each and every beat (although sometimes that does work but only in certain situations). What I do is look at the bass line. It's essentially the percussion section. One of Handel's common things is to have the bass line double its tempo for example, in venti turbini the rythm is this.... (in 4/4) 1 rest 2 rest 1 rest 2 rest 1 rest 2 rest 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 + 4+ 1+2+ 3. the whole time there are 16ths in the violin. I think the intensity of the 16ths should follow the bassline. a little relaxed when the half note is emphasized.. then tighten up when it doubles to quarter notes and then really precise and and even when the bass doubles to 8th notes. Another example is in For Unto us a Child is Born. in the "unto us" section the bass is accenting the half note, in the "and the government" section the bass is straight quarters and then in the "wonderful, counselor" section its not straight 8th notes but has the effect of straight 8th notes. The 16th notes in the "unto us" section are by nature more relaxed since its voices singing them.. the 16ths in the "wonderful" section are much more intense and are in the violins.

There were a couple sections here and there with staccato 8th notes for a little bit. I think you could make those "cuter" a style in Handel I often hear repeated is when there are 8th notes to make the 1st one long the 2nd one a little shorter then the 3rd and 4th staccato. I hear that in bass lines and melody lines in many different performances. A great example that is that way due to the text is in Alexanders Feast (also called the Power of Music) "So love was crown'd but music won the cause" There are 2 sections, the 2nd section is when the text "but music won the cause" comes in. the rythm is (4/4) + 1+2+3 so "+" is staccato but then 1 is longer since you have to say "myoo" it will be longr because it would interrupt the flow to make it short. I think if you naturally say "but music won the cause" in the rythm +1+2+3 without even hearing the piece you'll know what ones should be staccato and which ones should be longer.

Anyway, thats my long winded and barely coherent thoughts. hopefully something in here you'll like!!

Please excuse any misinformation I might have as I am still learning.

Tom
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