Help on Syrinx needed ASAP

[flutepicc06]

Syrinx is a very tricky piece. When played exactly as written, it will sound as if there is no pulse to it, but many recordings that are available deviate so much from what is on the page that there really is no pulse. Stick to what the metronome and the music say. You may find that adding some VERY slight rubato in once you've learned it exactly as written makes it more musical, but don't alter lengths of notes or otherwise change what Debussy wrote.

[sidekicker]

I'll second that. My former teacher, the late (and quite great) Tom Nyfenger used to paraphrase something Debussy apparently once said about those who play his music: basically, if I (Debussy) were German, like Wagner, people would actually play pieces the way I composed them. I agree w/ flutepicc on this. Stick to the markings Debussy gave us to work with. It only sounds odd because over the years people have felt so free to do whatever they want with it rubato-wise to the point where, in some cases, what is on the score is unrecognizable when played. There's room for rubato in some places in much post-18th century music; it just depends on the individual piece. But it's always best to start with exactly what the composer intended.

SK

[MeLizzard]

I agree; I recently attended a lecture about this piece, and according to all presenters, the rhythm should remain mostly strict, or at least very straightforward with only traces of rubato. It should not sound like a cadenza.

[flutepicc06]

wait what's a cadenza?

A cadenza is a section of music that is pretty much played freely, without any definite tempo throughout. It speeds up and slows down as the player sees fit, and they can add and subtract length and nuances wherever they want, pretty much taking the music in any direction they want. In the purest definition of a cadenza, it would be improvised, but most people don't go to that trouble these days, prefering to use cadenzas that have either been written out by others, or write their own. Good examples of cadenzas can be found in many of the famous concerti in our repertoire, such as the Mozart in D or G.

[c_otter]

I've also decided to finally learn this piece and have found various tempos in recordings.

What metronome setting do you use for the piece?

[Claiken]

i loved playing Syrinx! But, i had a very awesome teacher to go along with it. it helped alot!

[fluteguy18]

I am learning this piece now... I think when I perform it in weekly recital hour, I will perform it in the way that it was initially performed....in the dark from memory.

[sidekicker]

I am learning this piece now... I think when I perform it in weekly recital hour, I will perform it in the way that it was initially performed....in the dark from memory.

Interesting piece of trivia. I've never heard that (or I did once and forgot ). But I did perform the piece that way once, except I was off-stage and the entire hall was dark. It's quite effective, apparently, according to those I spoke to afterward -- especially if the audience knows the story and what the piece is actually depicting (e.g. program notes, etc.)

SK

[sidekicker]

wait what's a cadenza?

A cadenza is a section of music that is pretty much played freely, without any definite tempo throughout. It speeds up and slows down as the player sees fit, and they can add and subtract length and nuances wherever they want, pretty much taking the music in any direction they want. In the purest definition of a cadenza, it would be improvised, but most people don't go to that trouble these days, prefering to use cadenzas that have either been written out by others, or write their own. Good examples of cadenzas can be found in many of the famous concerti in our repertoire, such as the Mozart in D or G.

Good explanation. I would also add that a cadenza is generally found in 18th and 19th century concerti (although it's not unheard of in later music either). The orchestra totally stops playing after an unresolved chord, then the soloist will, as flutepicc has said, begin playing freely. This portion of the concerto was meant to "show off" the soloist, and generally the soloist incorporates -- usually in a more virtuoso-like manner -- musical themes that were heard in that movement of the piece. In 18th century concerti (and often in 19th century concerti as well), the cadenza will end with either a trill (probably most common), or briskly played arpeggios or scales, at the end of which the orchestra will join back in for the final "tutti" section to end the movement.

SK

[fluteguy18]

I am learning this piece now... I think when I perform it in weekly recital hour, I will perform it in the way that it was initially performed....in the dark from memory.

Interesting piece of trivia. I've never heard that (or I did once and forgot ). But I did perform the piece that way once, except I was off-stage and the entire hall was dark. It's quite effective, apparently, according to those I spoke to afterward -- especially if the audience knows the story and what the piece is actually depicting (e.g. program notes, etc.)

SK

Yeah, the piece was originally composed for an opera that depicted the story of Pan and Syrinx [if you dont know the story, just ask], and it is played somewhere between two 'acts' or 'movements' I believe.

A funny story. My professor was telling me about this piece when I started on it, and she brought up her professor Ms. Doriot Dwyer. What was funny, was that when Dwyer was performing it in the opera onstage [in the dark of course], one night about half way through the solo there was suddenly a clatter.... her footjoint fell off.....so, my professor said you could hear her feet scuttling across the floor, a click that said the footjoint was back on, and then she started playing the solo again.... from the beginning.

[piccolopete]

I am playing Syrinx for a solo & ens. at the midsouth flute festival in two days... Some people go a little overboard on this piece as far as rubato and other personal interpretation... it's a really good solo to express yourself upon, so long as we respect Mr. Debussy and his work... I'm ecstatic about playing it, and I made it my own with tone colour variations rather than totally insane and unrecognizeable tempo and rhythm changes... Of course I did push the rubato somewhat, but not beyond it's means (in my opinion, anyway...) after all, it is marked "rubato"...

[FLflutist]

Story of Pan and Syrinx (From what I remmber what my teacher told me about it)

Pan, the mythical half goat half human creature, was flirting with the fariees like he usually does. He often pushed them around, chased them, tried to catch them, spy on them, and such.

One day, while looking for some faries, he came across the most beautiful farie of them all named Syrinx. He became very attracted to her divine beauty, and as he did with the other faries, he flirted, chased, pushed, and spied. Syrinx, of course, did not like this, so she often found places to hide away from him.

Pan eventually became obsessed with her beauty, and wanted her forever for himself. So, being the selfish creature he was, he put on a spell on Syrinx, turning her into one of his reeds on his panflute so he could have her forever.

Eventually, he began to realize it was a mistake. He could no longer enjoy her beauty that he once loved. So, after realizing what he did, he attempted to undo the spell he had casted on her, but sadly, the spell could not be undone.

So now pan forever plays his panflute in sorrow because of his selfishness.

-------------

So, you think of this story while you play the peice, and it really does fit. The emotion you should portray is sorrow or depression, which is why it's usually played rather slow and quiet.

The way I see it, play it depending on where you're performing it. For Districts, play it striaghtforward because the judge you have will most likely be a band director and probably has no background on the peice and if you play it with any trace of rubato they might say you didn't understand the peice.
But at states, you're given a flute professor who HAS studied/played the peice and knows that it isn't always played at the same time. So adding more rubato and more emotion to it will be more understandable than at districts where the judges don't understands the peice.

My private teacher actually refuses to let her students play this peice for festival anymore because of the lack of knowedgle the judges of districts have for it. They often say you don't understand the peice, when in realitiy, they don't understand it.

So be careful when taking this to solo and ensemble district festival.

[arion]

I am also working on this right now...in addition to Schubert's Arpeggione sonata (eugh)...

Anyway. So does this piece come into the opera after Pan has come to realize that he cannot re-create Syrinx and must live with what he has done, or is it played at some other part of the opera? What happens directly before/after?

I'm a little OCD about the imagination/interpretation aspect of pieces...

[FLflutist]

I explained the whole story in my last post, arion.

[fluteguy18]

and his interpretation of the story is pretty much correct. I have heard a slightly different version, but I think that is how most myths go... they have been passed down so many times, that there are different versions. The version that I heard, was that Pan was obsessed with pursuing Syrinx. However, she despised him, and after much aggrivation, she fled to a lake shore and plead to the gods for them to deliver her from him. So, they turned her into a thatch of reeds. Well, Pan came along and couldnt find her. So, out of desperation and frustration, he cut down the reeds, and eventually turned them into panpipes.

So, I guess this is one of those Tomato tomahto sort of things. I personally like the one I heard a little better because the name of the piece is Syrinx, and it is a beautiful piece, but a little sad and mournful.

But, whatever floats your boat.