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RE: Debussy Rhapsodie

Author: D Dow
Date: 2002-10-10 20:36

Dear Gregory:

I play in a regional orchestra up here in Canada-- and can also honestly state acoustics can do alot to anybody playing any instrument...in one hall I perform in we call it "doink" haLL BECAUSE THE ACOUSTICS ARE SO EMACIATED AND DEAD! As to performances there are so many ways just to begin a sound that a good acoustic certainly plays alot into how I play. Resonance is everything in performing.
I know that when I did the Rhpasody as a student my recital hall had awesome acoustics and the rehearsal hall was cruddy. My professor Danagain said he was lucky to do the Rhapsody in Salle Pleyel in Paris because it had very lively acoustics. I also know he could play it at a moments notice from memory, so memorization certainly helps with alot of the spontanity as well.
As to why we do things a certain way I know that someone like Glenn Gould would probe for years on a passage. Interpretation alone is an art in itself and teaching students aspects of interpretation is not an easy thing to do.
There are also players out there who can do the Rhapsody in one take. People like Paul Meyer are superb at memorization and last I heard he can play over 50 Concertos! That pretty wild.
I would also say that an allegro is allegro and that is what the composer wants we play.

I recall hearing a very slow interpretation of the 1st movement of Beethoven 5 which got so heavy that I found it lacked any musical momentum. Conductors like Celibidache are notorious for unusual tempos and to be honest I find it interesting but sometimes annoying. If you ever heard his nutcracker suite you would know what i mean. I am in total accord with you on matters of overall tempi, when a composer say something, they MEAN IT! There is also a growing tendency to do strange things with tempo, and of course whether these approaches leave a historical mark is questionable. Great conductors definitely know the boundaries of what is musical and what is unmusical. Thanks for the excellent post.

Sincerely D Dow

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Debussy Rhapsodie new

michal

2002-10-10 02:19