The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 1999-06-09 22:46
A few weeks back, in a discussion on tremolos, I noted that the bass clarinet part in Tchaikovski's March Slave had a few (4-beat) measures which contained two pairs of half notes with the members of each pair connected by a bar such as you would see on eighth notes. I realized that each pair should be played as four eighth notes alternating between the two pitches. Someone on this bulletin board indicated that they should be slurred.
Well, at Monday night's rehearsal I slurred them and the band director stopped because he didn't like what he was hearing. When he asked the bari sax player and I to individually play what we had written, I realized that he didn't want them slurred, so I then played them unslurred. He actually suggested that there be some separation between the notes.
Of course, one must defer to the conductor, but what is the correct way to interpret this musical shorthand? (In this instance, I think unslurred sounds better.)
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Author: Fred McKenzie
Date: 1999-06-10 03:26
Don Poulsen wrote:
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A few weeks back, in a discussion on tremolos, I noted that the bass clarinet part in Tchaikovski's March Slave had a few (4-beat) measures which contained two pairs of half notes with the members of each pair connected by a bar such as you would see on eighth notes.
Don-
We are currently rehearsing March Slav, and I can't place the section you refer to. If you could give me an idea where it is, I will check at our next rehearsal.
I wouldn't be surprised if we are playing two different arrangements. (I've played it before, and would swear this is different.) I agree with your interpretation, but would have to see it to form an opinion about the slur.
It isn't unusual for our director's score to differ from other parts. Someone has to decide, so it might as well be the director.
Fred
<A HREF="http://www.dreamnetstudios.com/music/mmb/index.htm">MMB</A>
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Author: Don Longacre
Date: 1999-06-10 04:18
Don, I've always heard that tremolo part slurred as tremolos
between two pitches are usually played.(see Music Notation,
Mark McGrain, Berklee Press, for precise definitions) The
conductor, of course, like the customer, is always right
Within the past two weeks I played Marche Slav under a con-
ductor who refers to the work as "March of the Slaves."and
interprets it as so. Tchaikovski commonly used french to
title his work and this title means Slavic March or
Slavonic March in english relating to the ethnicity of
eastern europe, certainly not a bunch of poor guys chained
together although the opening theme suggest a sad "woe-is-me
situation. Of course, I did not inform my conductor of this.
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