Posted by Rick Denney on May 04, 2001 at 14:43:04:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Contra-Octave in band playing posted by Leland on May 04, 2001 at 13:43:20:
I appreciate your desire not to argue about it, but it's an important point and I'd like to make another statement in defense of the score.
You ask an important question--what makes a great performance great? The execution of the written part OR the added interpretation?
I think this is a false choice. The interpretation starts with the written part. That was Mahler's point. He was saying that a composer can only write down 10% of what makes music, and the conductor and musicians must add the other 90%. But that 90% that is added rests on the 10% that is written. So, the answer to the question is both.
I used to play in a band conducted by Randol Bass, who is a great conductor and musician. Randy once told us that professional musicians (we were an amateur group) were distinguished by playing the right note at the right time and at the right dynamic. He said that was the minimum qualification of a musician. He added that a good musician must do much more than that.
Rick "it starts, not ends with the ink" Denney