(DAT) Timpani Part Editing - Part 2 - Part Revision Techniques - Page 3 - Developing an Editing Method
Developing an Editing Method
Timpanists (and also conductors) usually fall into one of three camps with regard to part editing philosophy:
Conservative
Moderate
Liberal
Conservatives refuse to change anything on the printed page, in fact they will rarely change something that is an obvious mistake...
Liberals like to turn timpani parts into pedaling exercises, writing unidiomatic chromatic lines that try to keep up with the other bass instruments.
I consider myself a leftish moderate in that I seek out and look for editing opportunities, but feel the degree of editing should not go too far beyond the "fourths and fifths" idiom of the instrument.
The Conductor's Role
Over the course of my career I have seen a wide range of conductorial interest (or lack thereof) in part editing. Some conductors have asked me to play "liberal" parts that are past anything I would ever propose. I remember hearing Cloyd Duff play a wild version of Schumann 1 once at Severance Hall. Afterwards I asked him about it, congratulating him on a brilliant display of pedaling skill. He said that sometimes these edited versions of the "Classics" (as he liked to say) are often more difficult than contemporary literature. The spectrum can swing to the other extreme when a conductor will omit a part entirely rather than make a few simple pitch changes. Or a conductor who tells you to go fix the part yourself (sort of like the church choir director that hands you a hymn book and says - go write yourself a part).
How these issues are handled depends upon who the conductor is and what sort of relationship you have with him (or her). If he is your Music Director and you are the Principal Timpanist there should obviously be some sort of long-range philosophical understanding. In my experience, especially with opera, many conductors are quite willing to leave you to your own devices if (1) you know what you are doing and (2) can really play the changes you make. Opera conductors have enough on their minds as it is...
Conductors can contribute a lot in this area if they are "into" it and understand the instrument. Some of the better ideas for edits I have encountered have come from conductors who did not play the instrument at all. Often they have spent more time with the score in question than you have, and their different perspective on the music can be helpful. However, the ultimate responsibility for your part remains with you, since that is your job.
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