Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-03-21 16:57
MarlboroughMan wrote:
> Back in the '90s, I was at a performance of a famous soloist.
> My seat was so close, I probably could have tripped him if I'd
> wanted to. From that vantage point, his hands were visibly
> shaking throughout the entire concerto
I guess part of the mix for an individual has to include his or her willingness to put up with the very real physical upset that extreme nervousness can cause. Also, the degree of deleterious effect on the player's performance attributable to the nerves would have to factor in. That soloist was, we have to suppose, willing to tolerate the inner turmoil because, again, we have to suppose, he found from experience that he was still able to play at a high level in spite of it.
> It's a memory that never fades, and
> vividly contrasts to the many other sedated, forgettable, and
> forgotten performances I've been to.
I have also been to performances by players I knew to be excellent that were badly marred by serious nerves. There's a point at which exciting, musical playing can't overcome the distraction of obvious technical deficiencies.
>
> With emphasis on technical perfection rather than musical
> expression, this sort of thing is too tempting. But I feel the
> music suffers from beta blocker culture.
>
I've also attended performances of players who I knew routinely used beta blockers who played beautifully - the playing was musically expressive, memorable AND technically flawless. Then, too, I've heard many soulless, boring performances, too many of them to all be attributed to beta blockers or any other pharmaceutical influence. I don't think you can really document a connection between meds and the affective (aesthetic, expressive, emotional) outcome of a performance.
> Also: any teacher who hands them out ought to be reported. I've
> known people who ended up in the ER from taking beta blockers
> when they didn't really need them, and moreover had an
> underlying condition they weren't aware of. There is a reason
> they legally need to be prescribed.
>
I completely agree here - they should be prescribed by a licensed physician, who will know if there's some other factor in an individual profile that makes the beta blocker medically a bad idea.
Karl
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
