The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question

Author: John Peacock
Date: 2014-11-14 00:42

I'd say 95% of this is certainly a visual "look at us" cue to concentrate the audience on a particular passage. For this reason, whenever leading a section in a Mahler symphony (which I've been privileged to do in all of them), I spend a little time on practicing to make sure we all go up in a synchronised fashion - and just a little bit before we play, so that there is time for the effect to register.

Having listened to our recordings, I think I can hear a difference, but I agree it's more in terms of a certain coarseness of sound than volume per se - although a more cutting tone has the same effect in terms of being heard more easily.

But undoubtedly you also pay a price in intonation, however hard you try to bend your neck back. And this gets particularly problematic in some of the passages where the "bells up" seems to go on for ages. As far as I'm aware, Mahler never wrote "bells down", so you need to decide when enough is enough. Some examples have similar passagework that goes on for many lines, but I usually tend to stay up for (say) 4 bars - after which the point has been made, and maybe the audience might prefer to hear it in tune. Again, the main thing is to make sure that everyone comes down together - like strings agreeing on the same bowing.

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics

Author

Date

Kind of dumb Mahler question new

elmo lewis

2009-11-06 19:11

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Chris P

2009-11-06 20:19

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Ed Palanker

2009-11-06 21:21

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Liquorice

2009-11-06 21:33

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Bennett

2009-11-06 23:41

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

lrooff

2009-11-07 00:03

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Gregory Smith

2009-11-27 02:20

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

kdk

2009-11-27 06:59

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

mrn

2009-11-07 01:52

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Ed Palanker

2009-11-07 03:45

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Liquorice

2009-11-07 07:31

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Chris P

2009-11-07 13:51

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

kdk

2009-11-07 14:21

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

kdk

2009-11-07 14:37

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Ed Palanker

2009-11-07 15:03

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Liquorice

2009-11-07 15:23

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

mrn

2009-11-07 19:09

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

cigleris

2009-11-07 20:22

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Chris P

2009-11-07 20:44

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Noqu

2009-11-08 11:57

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Ed Palanker

2009-11-08 14:45

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

srattle

2009-11-08 16:58

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Liquorice

2009-11-08 17:23

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Ed Palanker

2009-11-09 01:03

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Nessie1

2014-11-13 21:35

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

mrn

2009-11-09 04:09

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Chris P

2009-11-09 14:53

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Ed Palanker

2009-11-27 14:56

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Chris P

2009-11-27 15:05

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question

John Peacock

2014-11-14 00:42

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

concertmaster3

2014-11-14 03:05

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Chris P

2014-11-14 06:21

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Nessie1

2014-11-14 13:12

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

HANGARDUDE

2014-11-16 16:01

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

kdk

2014-11-16 19:29

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Luuk

2014-11-17 15:22

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Tony Pay

2014-11-18 00:01

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

lenc

2014-11-19 01:10

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

Chris P

2014-11-19 21:53

Re: Kind of dumb Mahler question new

lenc

2014-11-20 23:21

Sheet Music Plus Featured Sale

The Clarinet Pages

For Sale
Put your ads for items you'd like to sell here. Free! Please, no more than two at a time - ads removed after two weeks.