(DAT) Timpani Part Editing - Part 2 - Part Revision Techniques - Page 7 - Editing Method
More Comments on the Verdi and Conclusion
In addition to the places discussed earlier, here are some other (not all of them) spots where I make changes:
1. Requiem - bars 117-127
2. Dies Irae - bars 136, 186-7, 206-213, 322-27, 344-5, 359-362, 529, 531, 604-6, 653, 697-8
3. Offertorio - bars 83, 85, 112-118 (!!), 192-195
4. Sanctus
7. Libera Me - bars 75-83, 112, 233-238, 293-4
Bars 112-118 of the Offertorio are a real howler, you play G NATURAL against Gb in the rest of the orchestra for the first three bars!!
The Sanctus offers a different sort of challenge, in Lionel's edition he changes only bars 36 and 40-1, which I also change; however I add basically a third drum (mostly on G, sometimes on Ab, etc.) to the line. This is a classic example of a spot where it is easy to get caught up in the fun of the pedaling, to the point of clouding the musical line and calling too much attention to oneself. Under ideal curcumstances your goal is to edit and play in such a way that no one really notices what you are doing, it's just part of the music.
It is important to keep things in perspective, in the case of this work we are dealing with a Requiem Mass, and not the one by Janacek! Our purpose is to clarify the bass line and try to improve the music by taking advantage of the capabilites of the modern instrument, not to turn this work and others like it into pedaling etudes.
I am always interested in discussing these issues with colleagues, both fellow timpanists, conductors, and any other interested parties. I would be happy to answer questions about specific spots in the literature, provided I have access to a score or the work is something I have played. It would be fun to see these web pages become a clearinghouse for different ideas about these issues, along with the part errata I have also been compiling.
You can download a pdf letter-sized version of my complete edited part for the Verdi from my part library.
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