Darcy James Argue wrote:
On 04 Mar 2007, at 8:47 AM, David W. Fenton wrote:
On 3 Mar 2007 at 18:09, Chuck Israels wrote:
On Mar 3, 2007, at 5:50 PM, David W. Fenton wrote:
How do you resolve those things without endless rehearsal? What if
two players have the same passage but interpret the notation
slightly differently? Or in contradictory ways?
Ah, I think that happens often, and sometimes produces unexpectedly
beautiful results. One of the charms of this method of music making.
The conflicts are always resolved on the main pulses. The pushes
and pulls are a big part of the thrill of the music.
While I can see that in cases where players are passing motives back
and forth, if they are playing in unison rhythm, particularly in
faster passages, is it not a problem?
The section players keep their ears open and follow the phrasing adopted
by the lead player.
To this I would add that the whole concept of unified phrasing,
following the lead player, etc. is predicated upon there being
experienced players who are well versed in a number of different styles,
so there is a preliminary basis of experience and knowledge assumed.
Put the same chart in front of an 8th grade school jazz band that you
put in front of a band full of 20-year professional veterans of the jazz
idiom and you'll get very different performances.
But of course the same goes in the world of viol music (or any genre of
music). Interpretations can be discussed and differences of opinion can
be worked out to present a quality performance, based on knowledge and
experience. In the jazz world this seems to happen more by way of
common consensus on the fly rather than hashed-out-in-rehearsal perfection.
And such interpretations in the jazz world, say (were it only still
possible) by the Basie band and the Duke Ellington orchestra, would
result in two very different and equally wonderful performances. Each
band had a very unique, identifiable sound (they all did, not just those
two) which was in part created by the very rhythmic tensions and
interpretations Darcy and Chuck are mentioning.
But the very nature of the music welcomes that sort of interpretation
and any attempt to make the notation more precise and exact only gets in
the way. Ellington, for example, would not always write out the various
parts (from what I've read of his composing and arranging style)
note-for-note from start to finish, but would rather put sketches and
leave the actual sounds up to his trusted players.
--
David H. Bailey
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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