Re: GG: celebrity death match + plumbing

[Bradley P Lehman <bpl@umich.edu>]

On Mon, 19 Aug 2002, Bradley P Lehman wrote:

> > Why the piece should be played faster? The tempo wasn't surely
> marked in the
> > authentic score so how can one guess correctly?
>
>
> The same way a plumber knows how to work on _your_ faucets even
> though he's never been to your house before. To get ideas on a basic
> approach he studies the situation, examines all the available
> evidence, draws on years of training and experience with similar
> situations, knows what other experts have done in similar situations,
> knows his own abilities with the tools available to him, might
> consult with a colleague if he's not sure about something. And then,
> with all that as background, he chooses a specific plan to solve the
> problem to the best of his ability. For most jobs you want a plumber
> who can do all this quickly, since he's charging by the hour. :)


This weekend I reworked the above ideas into a more detailed essay:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/performance-preparation.htm

"What does a musical performer think about?"

Perhaps this sheds some light on the Brendel/Gould pugilism?  How does one
figure out a composer's intentions, anyway?  That's what I try to spell
out on that page.  Enjoy!  (At least it might be stimulating for more
discussion....)


Bradley Lehman, Dayton VA
home: http://i.am/bpl  or  http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl
CD's: http://listen.to/bpl or http://www.mp3.com/bpl

"Music must cause fire to flare up from the spirit - and not only sparks
from the clavier...." - Alfred Cortot