Comments on: Mahler's Markings http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/ Comments and reviews of opera, music, and medicine Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:55:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gerhart Wiesend http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/#comment-5548 Gerhart Wiesend Sun, 11 Dec 2011 09:05:39 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/?p=2746#comment-5548 Hilarious, thank you. Only one correction needed: a "Dampfer" is a steamer, while a "Dämpfer" or "Daempfer" is a muffler, e.g. on a violin. This reminds me of an anecdote about the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra which is to be conducted by a new, young and ambitious conductor. He gives them an endless list of detailed instructions on how to play. When he has finally ended, one violinist says to his neighbor: "Vier Kaffee" (four coffees). What does that mean? Four Philharmonics musicians sit in a Viennese coffee house and let the waiter know which kind of coffee they wish to have: one freshly roasted mocca, one mild Arabica, one decaffeinated and one Viennese melange. The waiter notes each order meticulously and walks away to the counter saying: four coffees. It is also known that during less important performances Philharmonics musicians hire a student from a music school to take their place in the orchestra. They can have a wine in the Prater, and the student is flattered to be able to play in e.g. the Staatsoper where the Philharmonics are the resident orchestra. During a Hoffmann opera (76th performance of a probably pre-War production http://www.myway.de/hoffmann/07-wien.html ) which I attended there in 2007 there must have been many students in the pit since this was one of the worst orchestra perfomances I have ever heard in any opera. Only the Cologne opera´s Gürzenich Orchester succeeded in playing worse during a dernière a year later. Hilarious, thank you. Only one correction needed: a “Dampfer” is a steamer, while a “Dämpfer” or “Daempfer” is a muffler, e.g. on a violin.
This reminds me of an anecdote about the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra which is to be conducted by a new, young and ambitious conductor. He gives them an endless list of detailed instructions on how to play. When he has finally ended, one violinist says to his neighbor: “Vier Kaffee” (four coffees). What does that mean?
Four Philharmonics musicians sit in a Viennese coffee house and let the waiter know which kind of coffee they wish to have: one freshly roasted mocca, one mild Arabica, one decaffeinated and one Viennese melange. The waiter notes each order meticulously and walks away to the counter saying: four coffees.
It is also known that during less important performances Philharmonics musicians hire a student from a music school to take their place in the orchestra. They can have a wine in the Prater, and the student is flattered to be able to play in e.g. the Staatsoper where the Philharmonics are the resident orchestra. During a Hoffmann opera (76th performance of a probably pre-War production http://www.myway.de/hoffmann/07-wien.html ) which I attended there in 2007 there must have been many students in the pit since this was one of the worst orchestra perfomances I have ever heard in any opera. Only the Cologne opera´s Gürzenich Orchester succeeded in playing worse during a dernière a year later.

]]> By: Peanut http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/#comment-4732 Peanut Sat, 27 Aug 2011 03:08:13 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/?p=2746#comment-4732 I guess to get this I should not actually know any German at all. That aside, I can see the humor. I guess to get this I should not actually know any German at all. That aside, I can see the humor.

]]> By: john e dreslin http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/#comment-3430 john e dreslin Fri, 06 May 2011 12:07:57 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/?p=2746#comment-3430 I read these over and over, and could not stop laughing. Thanks for lightening my day. I read these over and over, and could not stop laughing. Thanks for lightening my day.

]]> By: Musical term - Classical Music Forums - Talk Classical http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/#comment-3168 Musical term - Classical Music Forums - Talk Classical Sat, 02 Apr 2011 06:43:14 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/?p=2746#comment-3168 [...] Originally Posted by wingracer I have no problem with just writing it out in english but there are certain advantages to using the correct italian markings. Mainly, the fact that any professional musician in the world will know exactly what you intend no matter what language they speak. It's not just tradition, it is also practical. Mahler's pervasive markings in German often require lists of translations to be handed out to musicians for them to write into their parts. This practice has spawned some pretty funny deliberate mistranslations: http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/ [...] [...] Originally Posted by wingracer I have no problem with just writing it out in english but there are certain advantages to using the correct italian markings. Mainly, the fact that any professional musician in the world will know exactly what you intend no matter what language they speak. It's not just tradition, it is also practical. Mahler's pervasive markings in German often require lists of translations to be handed out to musicians for them to write into their parts. This practice has spawned some pretty funny deliberate mistranslations: http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/ [...]

]]> By: Pery Worster http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/#comment-2790 Pery Worster Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:16:28 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/?p=2746#comment-2790 Da frage ich mich beim groben Uberfliegen schon, ob man doof ist. Herzlichen Dank fur Ihre Erklarungen Da frage ich mich beim groben Uberfliegen schon, ob man doof ist. Herzlichen Dank fur Ihre Erklarungen

]]> By: The Human Creative Spirit… « Se Vuoi Pace http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/#comment-151 The Human Creative Spirit… « Se Vuoi Pace Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:04:52 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/?p=2746#comment-151 [...] The Human Creative Spirit… Published June 2, 2009 opera 0 Comments Mahler’s Markings « Medicine and Opera. [...] [...] The Human Creative Spirit… Published June 2, 2009 opera 0 Comments Mahler’s Markings « Medicine and Opera. [...]

]]> By: Laurence http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/#comment-150 Laurence Fri, 08 May 2009 22:20:58 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/?p=2746#comment-150 Glorious. We had similar fun in the Halle Choir with Mahler 2- especially "Slowing down but with a sense of speeding up" and "Somewhat louder, though still inaudible as before"... Although you missed out "Auferstehen"- you should have stood up ten bars ago...! Glorious. We had similar fun in the Halle Choir with Mahler 2- especially “Slowing down but with a sense of
speeding up” and “Somewhat louder, though still inaudible as before”…

Although you missed out “Auferstehen”- you should have stood up ten bars ago…!

]]> By: Catheryn Dowd Kutsch http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/#comment-149 Catheryn Dowd Kutsch Wed, 06 May 2009 20:17:33 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/?p=2746#comment-149 I'm in the middle of a run of SIEGFRIED right now in Washington, DC. This posting is too funny (and certainly applies to more than Mahler). At least I try to think funny when everything in Wagner goes "slowly". Especially Act 3. I’m in the middle of a run of SIEGFRIED right now in Washington, DC. This posting is too funny (and certainly applies to more than Mahler). At least I try to think funny when everything in Wagner goes “slowly”. Especially Act 3.

]]> By: Marjorie Talvi http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/#comment-148 Marjorie Talvi Wed, 06 May 2009 16:22:41 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/?p=2746#comment-148 This blog post is fabulous. Not only because it makes us "professionals" laugh while deciphering Mahler's markings, but I learned from your orchestra website how well-trained players from a multitude of fields can come together to form a spirited community in classical music. Cheers! This blog post is fabulous. Not only because it makes us “professionals” laugh while deciphering Mahler’s markings, but I learned from your orchestra website how well-trained players from a multitude of fields can come together to form a spirited community in classical music. Cheers!

]]> By: Chana http://medicine-opera.com/2009/04/mahlers-markings/#comment-147 Chana Wed, 06 May 2009 15:45:53 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/?p=2746#comment-147 I now need a doctor, because I've hurt myself laughing! I now need a doctor, because I’ve hurt myself laughing!

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