David Fenton wrote: d.f.>For example, one of the problems d.f.> with slurs in string music is that, in general, they will be d.f.> interpreted as bowings.
I reply: No, they will ALWAYS be interpreted as bowings. That is precisely how bowings are indicated in string music. This is not the first time this has come up, and I've given up on trying to convince keyboard players that it's true, but it's true anyway. I will add one qualification: slurs will be interpreted as bowings as long as they make sense as bowings. It only takes a few nanoseconds for a string player to realize that the composer or arranger or editor is an idiot and doesn't understand how to write string parts.
Just replayed the Barber Adagio in a concert, and it's interesting that he used two levels of slurs, a macro level which obviously indicates overall phrasing, and a micro level which are actually bowings. And they work. The question is, what is the function of the macro slurs? I would not use them myself, but then he was a pianist (and excellent singers) if I recall.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (otherwise unidentified) commented:
I've often wondered why bowings that don't agree with the slurs aren't regularly shown by dashed slur markings, and editorial ones by grey dashed slur markings of the sort seen in some of the (remarkably easy to read) Alfred piano editions.
I would take that as a definite possibility, but I would reverse it. The most important markings are the bowings, and they should be solid black. If it makes the composer feel good to add phrasings, they could be dashed or greyed, because in truth they convey no useful information to the player unless the player is so poorly trained that he cannot recognize the phrasings at sight.
As to staccato dots (or lines or wedges), composers and arrangers also need to understand that exactly the same markings are interpreted by string players using two very different techniques. They may be interpreted as "spiccato," meaning that the bow leaves the string between notes, or as "staccato," meaning that the bow stays on the string but comes to a brief stop. (There's also "marcato," which is usually played with more accent and perhaps longer stops.) The violin solo "Hora Staccato" is medium difficulty when played spiccato, but an order of magnitude more difficult when played, as Heifetz did, staccato. In most music we have to guess which was intended, and we usually guess correctly. If you understand the difference and want a specific sound, it doesn't hurt to include an instruction "off string" or "on string."
John
-- John & Susie Howell Virginia Tech Department of Music Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240 Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
