Quote:
Originally Posted by ecarroll  I feel that in many ways our repertoire choices define who we are as musicians. |
I've been pondering all this ever since Ed started the thread. There are those pieces I own, and since they are my property I can do whatever I want with them.
There are then too, those pieces that own me.
Mathis der Maler, not for the brass--I was captured from the first note! An old cheap Everest recording played through an old mono tube amplifier connected to one big speaker and the effect was total enchantment, total immersion and rapture. No other piece has affected me the same way.
Hindemith's
Sonate is another piece that owns me, but not from the first hearing. It took a really nasty break-up with the girl that I worshiped (and still do 30 years later). Suddenly the piece made sense, and I could express the feelings I couldn't articulate. These feelings call for my absolute envelopes of dynamics, not just loud and soft, but sighs, sobs, and above all, silence. An absolute silence, devoid of sound, yes, but also devoid of motion and volition. Anger and pain at the same time. It is all there, and I am incapable of a "safe" performance.
Thanks, Ed!