Email or username:

Password:

Forgot your password?
Johannes Ernst

I have yet to come across a single instance where #classical #music performers deviate (and often directly contradict!) the dynamics or phrasing written down by the composer and that deviation improved matters. Doesn’t matter who the performer is or the piece. (YT is great with sheet music video!) Somehow nobody would ever dare to deviate from the written notes, but phrasing and dynamics is disregarded all the time… consistently making it worse. Count me baffled.

6 comments
Johannes Ernst

“Sempre con passione” … what the heck do you think that means? Slowly fall into depression ain’t it!!

Not picking on any performer in particular … too many do it.

D. Schmudde

@J12t do you feel that this is common with conductors as well?

Johannes Ernst

@schmudde It pervades the establishment. Back in the long ago days when I was a practicing classical musician — and very young — the first you’d do with a new score was to copy your teacher’s markup … which never (in hindsight) attempted to understand the composer’s intention re phrasing. Just not something that was done.

Johannes Ernst

@schmudde Conductors mostly do worse, which is to leave the details to the orchestra, which grew up with what it grew up with.

I would love to listen to a recording of a rehearsal where a conductor takes issue with the orchestra’s changes to the phrasing or dynamics. Never heard of such a thing.

Johannes Ernst

Let’s take this piece I’m listening to. It says, for four bars, ff. Ok. Then, it says, for four bars, pp. Ok. Then, again, ff.

What would you expect?

f throughout ain’t it.

D. Schmudde

@J12t I assume that some conductors are known to be more rigid in interpretation. But I can’t name any.

It was always funny to me that Glenn Gould was such a heretic sensation. Everyone has been massaging the notes forever. And besides, Bach didn’t know a keyed instrument with performative dynamics.

Go Up