But there is still beyond that, some flexibility be-, be-, between
the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.
For example tempo.
A composer might write quarter note equals 144 in the piece.
Well, there's two reasons we might not take it 144.
One would be a practical reason, and the other would be an expressive reason.
A practical reason would say, well we may not
have an ensemble that can perform it at 144.
If we took it that fast, it may just be a train wreck.
We say, we might say, you know if we take it 128, it's going to be
not be the letter of the law, but it's going to be the spirit of the piece.
We're going to better satisfy our role.
As the composer's advocate.
From an expressive point of view, we might change it
because, well let's say we want to take it 152.
We might say, I think the composer, what they're
going for here at 144, is a certain style.
And we can amp that up by taking it 152.
Without jettisoning some of the other clarity issues that might happen.
Or say, we're going to take it 138 a
hair slower, but we're still going to be incredibly
vibrant with our articulation and we're going to bring out
some details that maybe we couldn't get at 144.
So there is an expressive purpose to that too expressive reasons to change
what's on the page also, we have to find our way through that.
One of the main ways we do that is through our score study.
That's part of the goal of that.
To figure out what is the composer going for here.
What does the piece mean, however we define that.
What are the things that he or she is prioritizing as a composer.
And how can we best express that through
the way we eventually wind up performing the piece.
So, beyond tempo we can look at something like articulation.
There might be something in articulation that's in the woodwinds da da da da
da da dum, that our woodwinds can't play, for, they just physically can't do it.
Well an expressive, sorry a practical reason for changing would be that
they can't play it that fast so we are going to instead of.
[MUSIC]
We're going to play it,
[MUSIC],
slur two, tongue two,
[MUSIC].
It's not the letter of the law, but we're hoping
it achieves the spirit of the law; by creating this
same style and something that we can technically achieve and
thus, we can satisfy our role as the composer's advocate.
Or maybe there's an expressive reason that we change.
What the articulation is.
Perhaps the Cellos have tenuto quarter notes, something like
[MUSIC],
that's what's written, but we say, you know if we do that, we're
going to cover another line, so we're going to create a little more separation,
[MUSIC].
And stretch the meaning of tenuto [LAUGH] to, as, no pun intended.
Or maybe we want to create more separation to create
more distinction between that cello line and another line.
So there might be another expressive reason that we change what's
on the page, it's not notes and rhythms, it's something else.