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From: dep@allegra.UUCP (Dewayne E. Perry)
Newsgroups: net.music.classical
Subject: Re: Define: music, correct music, interesting music, program notes
Message-ID: <2953@allegra.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Dec-84 10:32:18 EST
Article-I.D.: allegra.2953
Posted: Wed Dec 12 10:32:18 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Dec-84 02:27:21 EST
References: <47@lanierrnd.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 37

[no bells here, only the onion rings]

Whence comes the music: the composer, the performer, or the performance?

All three.  The performance, even if flawed, is the primary place to find
out if music has been perpetuated.  But it is not the only place.  As some
composers hear the composition in their head before they write it down, some
people have the ability to auralize a composition as well.  How well the
music is portrayed depends upon both the composer and the performer.  The
most important aspect of the performer's contribution is the amount of life
he/she can infuse into the piece.  However, no amount of life can make a
bad composition into music (though a poor performer and performance can
certainly turn a marvelous piece of music into dreck). Obviously a necessary
component in the bringing to life is technical ability - but even here,
there are tradeoffs: Dietriech Fischer-Dieskau's voice is certainly not
what it used to be (and even then it nay not have been the best there was),
but that does not stop him from turning out marvelous performances because
of superb musicianship and interpretation.

Original instrument performances are useful to provide insight into how
the piece was originally conceived - something that is all to often lost
these days.  This approach may even bring out aspects of the music that
were never noticed before (cf the concert of Hogwood's group vs the Lincoln
Center Chamber orchestra).  Further, original style performances (eg, the
presence of ornamentation, etc) also provide this kind of insight.  This 
biggest problem with both of these approaches is the capturing of the
original style of performance with only the written word to go on in the
majority of the cases (though there are some realized cases of cadenzas and
ornamentation that survive).

However, the original instrument/style is not the only way to make a piece
of music live.  Some of the huge orchestra approaches to small orchestra
pieces turn out stunning and satisfying performances.  In a word (so to
speak), there are several ways to skin a cat (but probably none of them
will be musically satisfying).

Listen well - Dewayne