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From: asente@Cascade.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.music.classical
Subject: Re: Is Richard Strauss Empty?
Message-ID: <1183@Cascade.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 8-Nov-84 14:40:33 EST
Article-I.D.: Cascade.1183
Posted: Thu Nov  8 14:40:33 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Nov-84 05:11:56 EST
References: <13192@mgweed.UUCP> <242@olivej.UUCP> <1229@eosp1.UUCP>
Organization: Stanford University
Lines: 20

> The point of the commentators was that Strauss
> used to conduct his own performances so simply that the opera sounded
> startlingly like Mozart.  People have lost the simplicity of his music
> in trying to make it more than it is, and in doing so they have made it
> less, by losing the beautiful construction that allowed his music to
> sound clear and simple.

Well, maybe some of it, but there are all sorts of interesting stories
about his conducting of "Salome."  In some cases he told the orchestra,
"play louder, I can still hear the singers!"  He described the effect
he wanted as a "wall of sound."  My favorite story concerned a
clarinetist.  Ricky (all his friends call him Ricky) told the
clarinetist he was playing too loud.  He played more softly.  Still too
loud.  Finally he just mouthed the mouthpiece and fingered the keys
without blowing at all.  The response?  "Just a little softer and it'll
be perfect."

	-paul asente

"Ich habe deine muss gekussen."  (No spelling flames, please)