Satoshi Akima <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>>>So even here [with Stravinsky] there can be no mindless formulae such
>>>as 'stop interpreting and just play the notes of the score'.
>
>>Perhaps that is why no one has made it.
>
>Unfortunately this is PRECISELY what Stravinsky does say in his 'Poetics
>of Music' and in doing so definitively sets the mood of the entire 20-21st
>century musical performance Zeitgeist of textual literalism!

You misinterpret.  I meant no one on this thread has made that argument.

>Correct me if I misrepresent you but unless I have misunderstood, the
>argument had been that if a repeat sign is to be found in black and white
>in the text that it MUST be observed in order to maintain the principle of
>absolute textual fidelity, with the failure to observe this principle being
>tantamount to vandalisation of the score.  Surely this concords PERFECTLY
>with the principle of textual literalism of the sort outlined by
>Stravinsky.

I do not know the context of the Stravinsky quote, so I really do not feel
competent to comment on it, other than the fact that observing the repeat
sign is not tantamount 'stop interpreting and just play the notes of the
score'.

>After all where did Schubert, Brahms, Beethoven ever say that non-textural
>elements such as vibrato, rubato are allowed in performance of their
>scores.  Mozart certainly hated vibrato for one.  And even if one composer
>allowed it why is that proof that it is allowed with the next composer?
>
>I appreciate that repeats may be justified on the basis of other
>considerations but unfortunately Jocelyn's arguments have always
>sounded to me like an appeal to the principle of textual literalism.

You create a straw-man version of my argument.  As has been noted numerous
times elsewhere by me and others, these other elements are quite distinct
from the repeat sign.  I will not unnecessarily inflate the length of this
response by reiterating the whole argument here, but, rather, take my turn
to say, "Check the archives."

-Jocelyn Wang
Culver Chamber Music Series
Come see our web page: www.bigfoot.com/~CulverMusic