 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: runner
Date: 2013-05-13 13:34
I have a "tempo" question regarding a piano student of mine. (I teach clarinet and sax ptimarily, however).
After the recital at my community music center Saturday, my executive director pulled me aside to criticize the tempo my 8th grade pianist did on "Maple Leaf Rag." She said it was wat too fast and asked if I had exposed him to recordings. The tempo marked is 88. He took it at about 112-116.
On You tube I heard a piano roll of Joplin's version and his tempo was in the 116 neighborhood. I listened to someone with 1.8 million views and he,likewise, performed it at that bright
tempo. Should I point this out to her? My student has much potential and talent and can perfprm it this fast. (Oh, he is working on the last two ,less popular sections at a slow tempo until he works it up). Let me know your opinions.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2013-05-13 14:43
If you go to IMSLP, you can download several versions of this work, including the one that is probably the original (copyright 1899). All of the versions I looked at had "Tempo di Marcia" (march tempo) as the only tempo marking. Perhaps one of our military bandsmen will want to correct me but (particularly with the Stars and Stripes Forever, in mind) it seems to me your student's tempo is pretty close -- certainly closer than 88 bpm. You might want to play Scott Joplin's recording for your executive director.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-05-13 14:47
For me, Joplin's performance would be a key authority, but you'd have to be sure that the speed at which the roll was played was correct (is the performance in the right key - i.e. correct pitch level?). Are there other recordings of Joplin playing Maple Leaf Rag and are they taken at the same tempo?
I don't know that I would press the point with your executive director. It depends a lot on her level of authority over you, how open she is to changing her view in the face of evidence, and whether your continued employment there is in danger if you pursue it. I would probably only follow up (by describing Joplin's tempo and providing the link to the YouTube audio) if you intend to have this or other students play Joplin rags in future recitals and the tempo questions are similar. If the exec director is the egocentric sort who would be angered by the perceived insubordination of questioning her, I'd just find something else for the student and other future students to perform in the center's recitals and let them study the rags without the public performance. They're great pieces that, IMO, are motivating enough to learn without the external push of a concert at the end of the process.
Who was the editor who was, presumably, responsible for the metronome marking on the sheet music?
Karl
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-05-13 15:11
Eubie Blake played ragtime at a fairly slow tempo but with tremendous energy and joy. Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgYfys7vErI and many more.
On his well-known record, Josh Rifkin played Joplin rags in a very easy and languid way -- totally wrong in my opinion. Eubie Blake was there at the birth of ragtime. His fingernail parings knew more than Rifkin ever conceived.
Ken Shaw
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