I've going through this year's rep for SYS-CMW and it seems that no one wants to believe the composer and their marking. Should there be some flexibility with regard to rubato within a tempo? Sure! If it's 60 instead of 62 or 58 is that a big deal? Not really. But to go dotted half-note at 56 when marked 70 is too big of a difference, especially in a waltz!
In the scherzo movement, there are egregious tempo modifications where the composer hasn't indicated any. What should feel like an exciting fast movement throughout feels split unnecessarily into several sections that sound much slower than simply "taking a little more time for lyrical sections."
But when it's marked dotted half-note equals 52, please don't take it at 40. Or if a valse feels more like a slow minuet, you lose the feeling of the piece. It clearly reads 70 to the dotted half, but most conductors will take it closer to 56! Unbelievable! Too many conductors I've found in the scherzo movement of the Dvorak take the coda several clicks under tempo when there is no marking for such a drastic change. A reading of tranquillo doesn't justify taking the tempo from quarter equals 132 to roughly quarter equals 84!
Had to get that off my chest...I guarantee you I will be taking the tempi as marked.
No comments:
Post a Comment