peters@cubsvax.UUCP (04/07/84)
This pertains to the discussion of whether "classical" musicians are
less "creative" than rock musicians... which I think can be expanded to
the question of whether musicians reading notes from charts are as
creative as musicians who are "improvising."
So in the "classical" category we would also include big-band musicians
who, while they're generally considered in the jazz tradition, generally
read all their notes from charts, and in the "rock" category we would
also include most other jazz musicians and country and folk musicians, all
of whom mostly improvise.
Improvisation is almost always done in a context; i. e., a melodic, harmonic
and/or rhythmic framework. Sometimes the framework is tighter, sometimes
looser. For example, so-called (usually perjoratively!) "Dixieland" jazz
has as tight a framework -- harmonically and rhythmically -- as, say, bluegrass.
So does old blues. More modern blues takes harmonic liberties -- that is,
the chords change -- but maintains the rhythmic framework of old blues, and,
often, the melodic as well. That is, a solo melody line might also sound
right against the old harmonic structure. If the rhythmic framework changes,
chances are you don't call it blues anymore. This progression from old
to more modern blues also pertains to the evolution of "mainstream" from
Dixieland" jazz, I believe, though I'm not an authority.
One can regard "interpretation" as improvisation within a much tighter
framework -- one in which the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic frameworks
are all set. What's left? Tone, slight rhythmic variations,
attack... *nuance**, in short. This is what distingushes great from mediocre
"classical" musicians.
My only point is that there's just a big a world within which to improvise
in a totally defined composition as in one which also allows *compositional*
improvisation. It's just that that world is compressed into the realm
of nuance... nuance is everything in these forms, for a given piece.
If this were not true, then every competent "classical" musician would
be equally great. And we all know that's not true, even though all
the professionals can play the notes.
{philabs,cmcl2!rocky2}!cubsvax!peters Peter S. Shenkin
Dept of Biol. Sci.; Columbia Univ.; New York, N. Y. 10027; 212-280-5517