ANST - A&S "skill ranks"...and other complications.

[Kateryn R Heathryge]

On Mon, 5 Jan 1998 16:07:39 -0800 (PST) "Mike C. Baker"
<kihe at rocketmail.com> writes:
>---"Timothy A. McDaniel" <tmcd at crl.com> wrote:
>> Pug wrote:
>> > Those people playing Mozart, etc, are just reproducing
>> > something that has been done for many years. They are not creating
>> > anything new.
>> I think I disagree.  There is always room for how to interpret
>> the music -- the technique.  (Similarly, N different heralds can
>> do a court N different ways, even if they say exactly the 
>> same words.)
>
>Daniel, how long have you been an SCA herald? 
>
>Semi-rhetorical question, actually, but I must accuse you of
>over-simplifying your example. N heralds can "do court" AT LEAST N!
>(N-factorial) different ways, and that only takes into account solo
>officiations and completely neglects individual variation over time. 

(snip discussion of court styles)

>> I think there's more room for interpretation in earlier arts, 
>> where we don't have complete information -- consider redacting 
>> recipies or reconstructing a dance.
>
>Or performing a song for which we have words but for which the music
>was only reduced to standardized notation hundreds of years
>afterward. (The works of the troubadour and trou'vere come to mind
>as my  example: while there may have been SOME notation in use, it
>was neither standardized across more than a small corner of Europe
>nor directly comparable to modern 20th century staff & note format.)

And don't forget those lovely pieces that are basically the words with
curliques over them that are to indicate which way the pitch is to
go...I'd rather have the indecipherable clefs!

Now, back to the original topic...

If I were to take up "I am a Prisoner" made famous by Richard II, would
it be more creative and desirable for me to perform it as close to period
practices as possible, thus risking being a mere "copyist", or to make up
some completely new interpretation, which, due to my mundane background
could be very interesting and extremely modern?

You put me in an interesting delemma...

Also, add one more voice to the teaching of disaplin and techinque,
especially in music composition, which has changed quite a bit.


Kateryn Heathrydge
Three Rivers, Calontir
heatherford.manor at juno.com
c/o Grimfells Witness Relocation Program
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