Klarinet Archive - Posting 000055.txt from 2011/08

From: "Steve Hartman" <sdh902@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mozart quintet repeat
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:37:11 -0400

Dan:

I think you meant to say "The music should NOT be used to bring service to
you" etc.

-Steve

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
To: "The Klarinet Mailing List" <klarinet@-----.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 8:30 PM
Subject: Re: [kl] Mozart quintet repeat

> There are two reasons why composers (particularly in Mozart's era) used
> repeats, and not only in slow movements as you have noticed, but in many
> movements as you can see by looking at the parts for the quintet. There
> are
> repeats in all four movements, and the third, the minuet, has a special
> case
> that must be dealt with on the two Da Capo sections; i.e., does one repeat
> a
> minuet at either, both, or none of the Da Capo directions?
>
> The first reason is to be able to write a little music and get a lot of
> it.
> Effectively, it doubles the performance time without have to write
> additional material.
>
> The second reason is the much more important one. Players of the 18th
> century were not simply automatons who played only what was written, which
> is far too often the case today. They were performer/composers and ample
> opportunity was given to them to show their skill at instantaneous
> composition while performing. They were expected to improvise based on
> the
> written text provided by the composer, which was generally full of hints
> (if
> you were able to recognize them) that told the performer where to
> improvise
> and in many senses what the improvisation should consist of. For example,
> a
> low note of some duration followed by a high note of some duration often
> mean that the performer was expected to fill in the blank area between the
> low and the high note, perhaps a scale, an arpeggio, or even nothing if
> that
> was what the performer preferred. But in that case, he ran the risk of
> demonstrating that he could not improvise, and that was often a black mark
> on a career.
>
> The nature of your posting tells me that all of this may be new news to
> you.
> Perhaps you may not have the experience you need to improvise in a way
> that
> is consistent with the classical period. The object is NOT to jam as many
> notes as you can get into the space of 2 seconds, but rather to embellish
> what is written. Get a recording of a Mozart piano concerto played by
> Robert
> Levin. Then get a score to that concerto and listen to the recording with
> great care and attention many times. See if you can find where he
> improvises, which is much of the time, but rarely in passagework. That is
> the style that you want to achieve.
>
> If you have jazz experience, that's good for a start but the Mozart
> quintet
> does not call for a jam session. Find someone in your area who can speak
> with authority on improvisation for music of the classic period.
>
> Remember, you are not the center of attention. The music is. So if it is
> your intention to show how fast you can play, I suggest you get involved
> with a good Dixieland band. You must concentrate on bringing service to
> the
> music. The music should be used to bring service to you, as is the case
> with a cornetist who plays the variations on the Carnival of Venice,
> finally
> achieving a variation in which he goes mad with all the technique as his
> disposal; i.e., triple tonguing, trills, runs, leaps, and all kinds of
> craziness. If you do that, I will find you no matter where you hide, and
> make sure that are buried in cow dung up to you chin, while rattlesnakes
> surround your final resting place.
>
> But do the quintet with beautiful improvisations, and I will permit you to
> marry my gorgeous daughter who has a rich father.
>
> The rule is this: LESS IS MORE.
>
> Dan Leeson
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark Thiel" <mark.thiel@-----.com>
> To: <klarinet@-----.com>
> Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 2:44 PM
> Subject: [kl] Mozart quintet repeat
>
>
>>
>>
>> OK here's a question that should start a bit of fisticuffs :
>>
>> In the slow (Larghetto) movement of K. 581, the clarinet quintet, the
>> first 26 bars are repeated, note for note, starting in bar 51. So the
>> second time, do you/would you:
>>
>> a) Play it exactly the same, except dolce this time (assuming you were
>> playing it a bit sourly the first time).
>>
>> b) Write in the chord changes and tell the strings: "OK guys, stand back,
>> this chorus is MINE".
>>
>> c) Something in between, if so what do you do, justify motivations, give
>> historical precedents, etc.
>>
>>
>> Mark Thiel
>>
>>
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>
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