Le 4 févr. 09 à 22:08, Martin Shepherd a écrit :
Dear Anthony and All,
Please don't use me as a metronome! I haven't checked this
particular performance against a metronome, but I can confidently
predict that it will be seriously adrift of strict time. Whether
it should be, of course, is an interesting issue.
I suppose there needs to be, at least some sort of suggested
stability, if we want the variation from that strict pattern to be
understood as significant?
For years I never used a metronome, because the only one I had was
a wind-up mechanical one which sounded wrong to me and I never
trusted it. With the advent of the electronic variety, I started
to experiment and found it a very useful tool. If your score is on
the computer, and Fronimo can play it for you, that is also
interesting.
I can't get used to a mechanical one, either, it sounds too equal,
and thus hurried. Like the Tocsein, it seems to tell you to go faster
than it is going itself. In fact I had the same problem with an
elctronic one which had no variable intensitiy of the beat. I finally
found one that does, and that is easier to use, but somehow I just
don't like being disciplined by a machine, even if I am the one that
sets the pace.
I have a Mac, and haven't got round to making it PC compatible.
Nearly ten years ago, I had a fun time preparing Newsidler's
setting of "Mille regretz" for performance: Fronimo demonstrated
very clearly for me what I had always known but not tested so
thoroughly before - that faced with a piece which has lots of slow
notes, and lots of fast notes, we play the slow notes too slowly
and the fast notes too fast.
I still want to go faster in the fast notes, but not to go too slow
in the slow ones. My heart must always beat fast.
This is highly relevant to the English pavans, where we get a
strain in relatively slow notes, then a repetition with lots of
fast notes. With a piece like this in a dance form, I feel it is
important to make the basic rhythm - in this case a slow swinging
two beats in the bar (think of Lachrimae, Flow my tears, first beat
accent on "flow", "tears", and "springs") - clear, even if the
basic tempo is rather slow. As long as that basic rhythmic
framework is clear, some flexibility within a bar is not only
allowed, but desirable.
Right, there must be some stable reference, but not like a midi file.
I often hear amateur lutenists who are so intent on stability that
they seem robotic, but I imagined that might be a necessary phase
through which the learner has to go while mastering tempo. Would you
encourage your students to take liberties, even from the beginning?
A related issue is whether to allow a slight pause or easing of the
tempo at the end of each section - I feel it is often needed in
pavans (but not too drastic), but can be disastrous in fast
galliards - witness the many performances of "Can she excuse" where
the singer dutifully sings right to the end of the bar, then takes
a breath, then starts the next section, by which time we have an
extra beat! The solution is to sing for the first two beats, take
a breath on the third beat, and come in one the first beat of the
next section.
A second issue which came out of my grappling with Newsidler is
that of which fast runs should be played strictly in time, and
which might not - there are several cases of written-out
accelerations (as I see it) in that piece. The same would probably
apply to any elaborate intabulation of a madrigal or chanson.
Just for the record - my text for the Cutting Pavan is based on
Barley, but not identical to Jan Burgers' edition, there being one
place in particular where I come to a different conclusion as to
what Barley says.
Well it will be interesting to compare.
Best wishes,
Martin
Thanks again
Anthony
Anthony Hind wrote:
Thank you, Martin, once more for a delicate performance. Although
I have the excellent hard-bound Tree edition,
it is good to be able to swiftly access your PDF, on which it is
possible to note fingering.
Being of a slightly tense nature, I tend to speed up, while
playing, so following your "metronome" will be an excellent
exercise in keeping the rhythm stable.
Thanks
Anthony
Le 4 févr. 09 à 19:57, Martin Shepherd a écrit :
I wanted to redo the whole thing - but being tired and short of
time I opted to just record the B' section and slot it in. At
least you now have a complete piece....
Martin
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