 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bigno16
Date: 2006-02-07 03:54
Our orchestra is playing Parsifal for the next concert and in the prelude, there is a strange section that is written in 6/4, yet is conducted in 4, not 6. The clarinets and flutes have alternating triplets and eighths that must somehow fit into the conducted 4 pattern, despite the meter being in 6. I just had an awfully difficult time trying to do so in rehearsal tonight and am fairly confused about it. Does anyone who has played this before have any suggestions? Could anyone offer advice or exact location of where the tactus (beats) should be written in?
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Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2006-02-07 04:20
If you look on page 97 of your Bonade orchestral excerpt book you'll see what I am about to explain. Many invaluable hints about interpretation of the repertoire can be found in the appendix of this sometimes maligned study book.
On beats 1 and 3 the downbeats line up with the beginning of the triplets. Generally speaking the 2nd and 4th beats fall on the second 8th note - but not quite! Remember you are playing 6 against 4.
Beats 2 and 4 (where the eighths fall) have to be "averaged" and everyone has to follow everyone else's duples exactly while making sure to maintain tempo. This "averaging" becomes especially important when you start the measures containing only 8th notes. Mark the beats, both exact and "averaged" in pencil.
It's like the Forest Murmurs of his Siegfried where a similar but faster version of this kind of passage occurs.
After playing this dozens of times myself in various orchestras, I can tell you that you will all "feel" it together if 1) the conductor doesn't adjust tempo and 2) if you "go with the flow" of the small group of woodwinds - especially during the duple figure that falls in the "cracks" of beat 2 and 4.
A real test of good ensemble playing.
Gregory Smith
Post Edited (2006-02-07 04:31)
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Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2006-02-07 07:06
Just a bit of clarification to what I've mentioned already...
Certainly the conductor will employ rubato while conducting the main melody and you have to adjust to that too. Slowing down and speeding up depending on the direction or tension and release of the phrase is one of the magic ingredients that give this music it's life. A good conductor will not bend the tempo to the rhythmic underpinning which you are playing, you have to follow the rubato in the melody by instinct.
Also, this is a real test of woodwind intonation and balance throughout - especially if played at the printed dynamics. The naked-like, open voicing of the parts does not make things any easier in that regard.
There's quite a bit of multitasking going on in a passage as deceptively simple looking at first blush.
Gregory Smith
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