Turning Notes Into Music: An Introduction to Musical Interpretation

172 Pages·1996·9.871 MB·English

by  Hans Lampl

TURNING
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Turning Notes into Music
An Introduction to Musical Interpretation
Hans Lampl
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The Seman Press, Inc.
Lanham, Md., & London
1996
SCARECROW PRESS, INC.
Published in the United States of America
by Scarecrow Press, Inc.
4720 Boston Way
Lanham, Maryland 20706
4 Pleydell Gardens, Folkestone
Kent CT20 2DN, England
Copyright © 1996 by Hans Lampl
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher.
British Cataloguing-in-Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lampl, Hans, 1919-
Turning notes into music : an introduction to musical interpretation / by Hans Lampl.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
1. Music—Interpretation (Phrasing, dynamics, etc.) I. Title.
MT75.L32 1996 781.46—dc20 96-7833 CIP MN
ISBN 0-8108-3164-3 (cloth : alk.paper)
ISBN 0-8108-3165-1 (pbk. : alk.paper)
© The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
To the memory of
Alice Ehlers and Muriel Kerr
who in their very different ways
inspired their students to mind the score
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CONTENTS
Preface
Vii
Acknowledgments Xi
List of Musical Examples xiii
1 INTRODUCTION
Inadequacies of notation: “fixed” elements and variables—Some common
misconceptions: obstacles to the effective study of interpretation—The interpretive
process: the “area of appropriateness” and “individual choice” —Dealing with the
complexities of interpretation—Teaching musical interpretation—Accuracy and
“musical” performance—A book on musical interpretation: benefits and limitations
—Benefits of the Socratic method: engaging the student’s mind—Individual chapters’
inventories of common interpretive problems—Active listening crucial to effective
performance—Examples of common pitfalls: performing without an adequate
“blueprint” —“Mishearing” by the listener and how to avoid it.
2 DYNAMICS 14
The term “dynamics” —Interpreting dynamic marks—Dynamics in contrapuntal
music—“Not seeing the forest for the trees” —Vertical balances—Melodic direction
and dynamics.
3 BASIC MUSICAL RHETORIC 24
Fundamentals of performance—Dynamic inflections without dynamic markings—
Musical idea defined by disposition of accents—Function of the barline in fixing basic
accents—Some group accents more prominent than others: the Grosstakt—Focal
points—Dynamic implications of durational values—Meter not always in agreement
with barring scheme.
39
4 TEMPO
Finding and maintaining the “Right” tempo—Using the metronome—Tempo
markings—Clues in the score—Factors affecting tempo perception—Acceleration and
retardation—Rubato—“Rhythmic elasticity” —Function of rubato in defining
structure—Fermatas and other pauses.
61
5 ARTICULATION
The term “articulation” —Legato—The many degrees of separation—Interpreting
slurs—Groups formed through articulation—Varieties of articulation—Attack and
release—Shapes of longer notes—Syncopation.
6 ACCENTS We
Function and general categories of accents—Factors determining the levels of
accents—Adjusting accents for balance and transparency—Using numerals for finer
gradations—Types of accents: dynamic, agogic, metric, harmonic, pitch, texture,
embellishment, color, phrase.
7 MUSICAL PUNCTUATION; PHRASEOLOGY; FLOW AND MOMENTUM 101
Punctuation in speech—Musical punctuation; the demarcation of motives and
phrases—Irregularities of phrase construction—Flow in music; focal points—Structural
analysis and performance—Seeing the forest and the trees—Absence of punctuation:
ostinato.
8 THE STUDY AND TEACHING OF MUSICAL INTERPRETATION 123
Essential premises and ground rules—Fundamental concepts reviewed—“Instant
interpretation” —When to introduce elements of interpretation—Stages in the
preparation for “musical” performance—The act of performance—Steps toward
effective self-study and independence—The fear of “over-rehearsing” —“Commanding
inspiration” —Attention to detail and successful performance—Doing the wrong thing
deliberately—Nurturing confidence and enthusiasm—“Practicing”
interpretation—Attributes of a teacher of interpretation.
9 IMAGINATION AND THE USE OF IMAGERY 131
Talent and imagination—Use of imagery by conductors and teachers—Imagery and
performance—Words in a score and images—Conventional marks of expression
inadequate—Actors’ methods useful for musicians—“ Absolute” music and
imagery—Imagery and performance.
Selected bibliography 137
Index 140
About the author 148
vi
PREFACE
One of the most fascinating aspects of musical performance is that a single piece of music
can be interpreted in many different ways. It is equally intriguing that the performances of one
and the same piece by different artists are all likely to be valid and effective, even though they
may vary enormously. Some listeners will prefer certain versions to others; but different artists
of equal stature always seem to receive equally favorable responses from their respective
audiences.
How do these artists manage to sound so different and yet, each in his' own way, do justice
to the music? This contradiction is only one of many aspects of interpretation which appear to
defy definition. In fact, musical interpretation is often regarded as something of a mystery to
be revealed, if at all, only at advanced stages of training. In reality, however, interpretation is
an integral part of all musical performance, beginning with the most elementary level.
Before looking for rational solutions to the puzzles of interpretation, we should take note of
certain facts:
1. All elements of music—such as melody, rhythm, harmony, and formal structures of all
kinds—have their interpretive implications which in performance manifest themselves in
varying degrees and inflections of tempo, dynamics, articulation, etc.
2. Except for the notes themselves—and the pitches and basic time values they indicate—these
“elements of performance” are not fixed and are subject to modification by the performer,
to “interpretation.”
3. All marks of expression (p, ———., Sf, etc.) and verbal directions (andante, ritenuto,
espressivo, etc.) represent only approximate values, and the many nuances, which are an
essential part of any “musical” performance, are only implied but not specifically spelled out
in the score.
4. Taste and temperament, intuition and inspiration all play a role in musical interpretation.
Quite obviously, the elements in the last item are beyond our powers to quantify, let alone,
to manipulate. Items 2 and 3 only seem to confirm the impression that specifics of interpretation
(e.g., the exact tempo, the decibel level of a note, or the true length of a staccato note) simply
can not be pinned down with any degree of certainty.
Nevertheless, the score itself provides the performer with all the clues necessary to enable
him to determine the interpretive details of his performance.
The title Turning Notes into Music describes in a nutshell what this book aims to accomplish:
1. to identify the phenomena of interpretation which can indeed be identified, and 2. to chart
IThe masculine pronoun is used throughout this book in a gender-neutral sense.
TURNING NOTES INTO MUSIC
the steps which transform a literal rendition (merely “playing the notes”) into a “musical”? and
convincing performance.
The bulk of the volume is essentially a comprehensive annotated and illustrated catalog of
interpretive problems the performer will have to recognize and address in the course of
preparing a piece of music for performance. The material is arranged in separate chapters, each
devoted to a single area of interpretation (dynamics, tempo, etc.) in order to allow for a clear
focus and to facilitate comprehension.
As an introduction to musical interpretation the book does not attempt to deal with its most
advanced and sophisticated aspects, let alone, ultimates of artistry. Neither does it set rules
which would tend to inhibit the performer—to wrap him into an interpretive straightjacket, so
to speak—nor does it point out “authoritative” performances to be merely imitated. But it does
enable the aspiring performer to achieve a thorough grasp of fundamentals on which to build the
concepts—his interpretive “blueprint”—for performances which satisfy the interpretive
requirements of the music while allowing him to follow his artistic impulse. The performer who
has learned to analyze the score with a view toward assessing these interpretive requirements
will invariably be able to come up with the appropriate nuances and inflections, avoiding
mechanical and “literal” renditions on one hand, and exaggerations and distortions on the other.
It should be understood, of course, that any analysis and consideration of details must be
taken care of during the initial, preparatory phase preceding the performance stage. During the
actual performance, any preoccupation with details is disruptive, interfering with the pattern of
reflex actions into which all the elements of execution, of technique and interpretation, have
been amalgamated in the course of preparation.
The many texts and “methods” available which deal with performance mainly address its
technical aspects, with little space, if any, given to interpretation. When courses in interpretation
are offered, they are most often limited to the performance practices of earlier periods. Asa
consequence many individuals preparing for teaching careers in the various areas of
performance, including aspiring conductors, complete their formal schooling without being
exposed to a systematic approach to musical interpretation. In the course of their training they
will have listened to a considerable amount of music, played or sung in various ensembles, and
studied voice or an instrument for a number of years, yet without ever developing meaningful
and reliable concepts concerning the interpretive aspects of their own performance. In turn their
Students learn to rely mainly on imitation—of their own teachers’ demonstration or the
performances of established artists—rather than acquiring a secure interpretive grasp of the music
they perform, based on thorough study and analysis of the score itself. Turning Notes into Music
is intended to narrow the existing gap in the literature and pedagogy of performance.
Since musicianship and interpretive skills determine the quality of all musical
performance—instrumental and vocal, solo and ensemble—this book is designed to cut across
the entire panorama of performance. The basic principles of musicianship and interpretive
requirements in general are the same for players of strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion and
*See footnote on pel:
Vili