Re: Cadenza Freedom?


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Posted by Rick Denney on April 14, 2003 at 19:23:52:

In Reply to: Cadenza Freedom? posted by Mac Fish on April 14, 2003 at 19:13:16:

I've always thought that a section that is marked "cadenza" is open for interpretation on the part of the player. It is intended to give the player a chance to show off a little bit, though a part is usually written out in case the musician can't think of anything useful. But the responsibility is on the musician. If he does something that sounds bad, even with the composer on the podium, he will attract all of the blame. The conductor is usually standing there on the podium with his stick down looking at the musician appreciatively, which is code for the audience: "He's on his own; if he screws up it ain't my fault."

Critics might indeed say he should have left the music the way it is, but then critics are free to complain about the musician's adlib. That doesn't mean they are opposed to adlib, it just means they are opposed to adlib that they don't like.

Rick "who once played an ossia on the wrong partial at contest but got away with it because it was an ossia" Denney


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