Indeed, the fact of improvisation makes the reading vs. memory argument moot. Performance from memory mimics the act of spontaneous creation that truly occurs in improvisation.
Just a few hours ago I performed a concert based on 13th and 14th century repertoire associated with St. Francis of Assisi. (With sheet music). Afterward, an audience member who apparently listens to a lot of guitar music expressed his great appreciation for the lute playing. I don't know if it was a revelation to him to have an emotional response to music performed from a score, but he was certainly dumbstruck to learn that several of the solos I performed were completely improvised. Maybe that $50 ticket should be spent not on Romeo and Juliet, but on Hamlet: There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. -----Original Message----- From: Michael Thames [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 4:57 PM To: Arto Wikla Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: Blind players and memory Arto, As I've said, I site read now more than I memorize. As having come from a classical guitar back ground,where everyone memorizes, I found this lutenistic tradition of only site reading ( written in stone) a bit perplexing. I've asked for sources citing evidence for this lutenistic tradition, yet no one has come forward, with anything. Sorry to use the term amateur,or non professional, but I was not using them in a derogatory way. As far as where you look,as your playing,I could careless. This is all stage presence and up to each individual performer, to with as they see fit. All I can say is most super star classical performers thesedays tend to memorize their music. If I want to hear the music I'll stay home and put on a CD, but if I pay $50.00 a ticket I hope you could recite Romeo and Juliet,without a script, between you,and the audience. Michael Thames www.ThamesClassicalGuitars.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Arto Wikla" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Michael Thames" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 2:29 PM Subject: Re: Blind players and memory Dear Michael and all On Sun, 10 Apr 2005, Michael Thames comments: > >This brings to mind another point in the debate about >performing from > memory or > >score. Ever notice how most guitarists stare at their >hands while > playing, > >while a few look into the rafters or close their eyes >(drawing divine > >inspiration, perhaps)? I wonder which exhibit greater >professionalism > > I would say that you might want to consider the music above all. > However, it is nice to see a performer in a setting where one might get the > impression that it's he, or she, and the audience, and not a third party > love affair with your sheet music. It is so difficult to me to take any offence, if someone is using the sheet music. It is in a way the contrary: When someone is playing a big program by hart, I am so worried, and also symphatise and pity the poor performer that it really diminishes my ability to relax and enjoy the music! An extreme case was in the Nordic Baroque Festival in 2001, where Pieter Wispelway had a concert, where he played ALL the six Cello Suites by certain J.S. Bach. He did it well, very well. But he played by heart, and that is why I was all the time very worried... ;-) And by the way, many times during the concert he was looking to the ceiling of the church, probably wishing help from the divine forces? ;) Anyhow, I would have enjoyed more of the conert, if he had had the music stand in front of him! It doesn't have mattered, if there were empty papers or today's newspaper on the stand... Summa summarum: If you improvise, you improvise. If you play - if you "repeat" - the music composed by another, you are perfectly allowed to use the sheet music. Why not? At least that does not dimin�sh MY experience... Arto To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
