[NSP] Re: Deaf/dead
If Beethoven were alive today and could hear (:)), would he have recognised his compositions as played I'm very sure he would have recognised the pieces but he might have thought people had a very funny way of playing them. Though I did once hear a recording of piece by Palestrina that I had actually sung myself and failed to recognise it. This was the choir of the Sistine Chapel around 1935 with masses of vibrato, poor tuning in general and rubato all over the shop. I also once heard a local choir singing three pieces - one by Haydn, one by Bruckner and one by Britten, and I couldn't tell which was which. And I once failed to recognise that a rock band had played Little Wing in one of their sets. But I don't think it's this kind of gross inaccuracy that we're talking about. CB To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: Was Mr. Fenwick right?
Tom Clough wrote that notes should be played their full length, but clearly separated, and Fenwick is consistent with this. And they were both consistent with this: notes last *almost* until the next one starts. This is what I meant by a fresh start to each note but not necessarily a clearly audible silence since if there is a clearly audible silence either the note is not being played its full length or the next note will be late. FWIW C To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: Deaf/dead
In our search for the correct way to play a piece, I think that we are all overlooking the point that composers tend to make minor (occasionally major) alterations in a lot of their pieces (embellishments, dynamics and even notes and whole phrases) each time they perform, depending on their mood, the location, the time of day, the type of audience, the level of skill and musicianship of the performers (if it is an ensemble piece), etc. This is certainly true of many of the contemporary composers we know, and looking at the various revisions of the older masters was obviously also the case with them. This is referring not to the correct way to play the Northumbrian Small Pipes, which has been one of the subjects under discussion, but to the interpretation - for want of a better word - of written music. As a composer myself, I know only too well that it is impossible to indicate one's intentions on paper and have been amazed - occasionally horrified, sometimes delighted - at performances of same piece. Sheila -Original Message- From: Christopher.Birch christopher.bi...@ec.europa.eu To: cwhill cwh...@santa-fe.freeserve.co.uk; nsp nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Fri, Jun 24, 2011 4:35 am Subject: [NSP] Re: Deaf/dead If Beethoven were alive today and could hear (:)), would he have recognised his compositions as played I'm very sure he would have recognised the pieces but he might have thought eople had a very funny way of playing them. Though I did once hear a recording of piece by Palestrina that I had actually ung myself and failed to recognise it. his was the choir of the Sistine Chapel around 1935 with masses of vibrato, oor tuning in general and rubato all over the shop. I also once heard a local choir singing three pieces - one by Haydn, one by ruckner and one by Britten, and I couldn't tell which was which. And I once failed to recognise that a rock band had played Little Wing in one of heir sets. But I don't think it's this kind of gross inaccuracy that we're talking about. B To get on or off this list see list information at ttp://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html --
[NSP] Re: Deaf/dead
I've never seen anyone's goats playing a shawm - playing the goat, perhaps. You are perhaps thinking of the Great God Pan, who played another wind instrument... John -Original Message- From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of cwhill Sent: 24 June 2011 12:24 To: nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu Subject: [NSP] Re: Deaf/dead I was more thinking along the lines of look what they've done to my song, Ma. There is, of course, a serious side to it when deciding on which part of the tradition one wishes to set as the norm. With the best will in the world, how people actually played music before recordings were available has to be best guess. Research can help somewhat but nothing compares with the actual not like that, like this of a fellow piper. That's one of the reasons that I tend to be not so pedantic on how to play the pipes (within reason) including which came first - the stopped chanter or the one finger off at a time. Lucky accident or careful deliberation?. Of course, one wonders who actually thought of killing a goat and using the skin for the bag. Imagine some guy sitting watching his goats playing a shawm, getting out of breath (and they do take a lot of puff) and thinking I have a cunning plan. Colin Hill On 24/06/2011 09:34, christopher.bi...@ec.europa.eu wrote: If Beethoven were alive today and could hear (:)), would he have recognised his compositions as played I'm very sure he would have recognised the pieces but he might have thought people had a very funny way of playing them. Though I did once hear a recording of piece by Palestrina that I had actually sung myself and failed to recognise it. This was the choir of the Sistine Chapel around 1935 with masses of vibrato, poor tuning in general and rubato all over the shop. I also once heard a local choir singing three pieces - one by Haydn, one by Bruckner and one by Britten, and I couldn't tell which was which. And I once failed to recognise that a rock band had played Little Wing in one of their sets. But I don't think it's this kind of gross inaccuracy that we're talking about. CB - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1382 / Virus Database: 1513/3721 - Release Date: 06/23/11 - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1388 / Virus Database: 1513/3723 - Release Date: 06/24/11 To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
