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Dexterity and difficulty - their rôle in composition

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Author Topic: Dexterity and difficulty - their rôle in composition  (Read 759 times)
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guest2
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« on: June 01, 2009, 12:23:47 pm »

Many - indeed most - of the greatest composers were in their youth applauded not for their compositional ability at all, but rather as virtuoso performers; what people admired in them was the dexterity rapidity and accuracy of their finger-work, and the prodigious retentive power of their memory. This may be said of such main-stream figures in the history of composition as Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Brahms - several of whom later left their instrument behind! Music that was more and more difficult to play was written for the principal purpose of showing off the abilities of all these virtuosi. Even Bach was praised for his flashing feet on the pedals!

It would appear then that there is an intimate relationship between the ability correctly to perform difficult music and the ability to compose well.

In the present day there are just as many gifted people who - enviably and often amazingly - are able to play some instrument rapidly and accurately, and to hear and retain all the subtle elements of a piece. Yet as a rule they do not now go on to become admired composers. Why is that?

Nevertheless this strange history of difficulty does continue. In the old days many compositions appeared that were considered at the time almost impossible to play accurately and well; to-day works are published that are quite impossible to perform at all - except perhaps by means of an automatic or mechanical instrument.

It has on the other hand many times been demonstrated that a successful work may be one that is perfectly easy to play - a difficulty of execution is certainly not a requirement, and it does not appear to be a quality which composers should seek out, even.

Can members imagine a world in which all music will be easy to play? Would that not after all be a good thing?
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Tony Watson
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« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2009, 08:06:44 pm »

Was Sibelius able to play his own violin concerto? Did he not deliberately make it difficult for other violinists to play? I think one or two works have been turned down because they do not lie well enough under the fingers of the soloist. Then again, Harold in Italy was rejected because it wasn't difficult enough.
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John Cummins
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« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2009, 06:28:13 pm »

It has on the other hand many times been demonstrated that a successful work may be one that is perfectly easy to play - a difficulty of execution is certainly not a requirement, and it does not appear to be a quality which composers should seek out, even.

Can members imagine a world in which all music will be easy to play? Would that not after all be a good thing?

"Difficulty of execution" depends on a definition of execution: mechanical execution is not the same as musical execution.  Music that is mechanically easy can be musically very difficult.  A recitatif passage in piano music seems almost impossible for most modern pianists, lacking, as they seem to, perception and understanding of the underlying harmony and the concomitant line, not to mention of how to sing.  They end up attempting to shape the recitatif with pianistic mannerisms, pause here, agogic there, accel. next, uncoordinated to the structure.  It usually sounds embarrassing. 

Among mechanically difficult works, the best are those that are also deep musically, and difficult passages are an inevitable part of the piece. 

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Reiner Torheit
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« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2009, 07:26:58 am »

The works of Scharwenka prove that music which is fiendishly difficult to perform can still be utterly trite  ;)
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John Cummins
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« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2009, 05:44:29 pm »

The works of Scharwenka prove that music which is fiendishly difficult to perform can still be utterly trite  ;)

Had never heard of him; looked him up; found there are two brothers, Ludwig Philipp and Franz Xaver. 
Whose music is trite? 
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Reiner Torheit
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« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2009, 08:19:23 pm »


Had never heard of him; looked him up; found there are two brothers, Ludwig Philipp and Franz Xaver. 
Whose music is trite? 

Franz Xaver's.
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Roehre
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« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2009, 08:12:51 pm »


Had never heard of him; looked him up; found there are two brothers, Ludwig Philipp and Franz Xaver. 
Whose music is trite? 

Franz Xaver's.

Just listen to the four pianoconcertos to prove RT's point  ;D  Nice music, but that's all.
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