Double Bass Dvorak 6th bowing question

[AndyMopley]

Hi all

In relation to attached - the bowing is taken from NYP Archives. I am a little puzzled by what the bowing pattern is (where the x mark is shown, eg down?) and also if generally (as shown on bar 14) the slur is extended to the e note, to complete the phrase?

Thank you!

 

[MuseChaser]

If I understand your question correctly, you're asking, in reference to the penciled-in edited bowings, if the down bow slur of the eighth notes in the previous measure should be continued into the dotted quarter note of the measure indicated by the red "X."

No. The up bow mark on the next lone eighth notes indicates a "hooked" bowing; the preceding dotted quarter note will fall on an up bow after the down bow slurred eighth notes, then the bow is stopped briefly before articulating the single eighth note with a second up bow stroke without lifting or replacing the bow. A very common practice.

Incidentally, I like the edited approach to the slurs in this passage. Bar lines rarely have anything to do with phrase structure, yet so e editors and players seem to bow based upon the bar lines (as in the unedited bowings here) rather than the phrase. Doesn't make sense to me. I've conducted Barber's Adagio for Strings many times, and spent hours reworking the bowings to truly bring out the incredibly beautiful continuous forward-moving melodic and harmonic tension/release of that work. Almost every bar line ends up being within a slur.

 

[AndyMopley]

At which point does the conductor get involved with the interpretation / marking of the bowing? When looking through NY Phil Archives I see a lot of parts reportedly "marked" by the likes of Bernstein, for example. The attached is an extract from Brahms Tragic Overture, where it appears to me as though some sigificant changes have been marked from what was written. I am also puzzled at section D, with the bowing..

Regards to all

 

[SAlcott]

Before D, the long slur marking is broken up to enable the FF dynamic marking to be achieved. At D, Brahms doesn't indicate with dots that the notes under the slur marking are to be played with one bow. Whoever marked the part chose the practical way.

 

[AGCurry]

Before D, the long slur marking is broken up to enable the FF dynamic marking to be achieved. At D, Brahms doesn't indicate with dots that the notes under the slur marking are to be played with one bow. Whoever marked the part chose the practical way.

Yes. It's common for section leaders and soloists to break slurs in order to achieve desired effects.

 

[ClsscLib]

I love the Sixth — it’s my favorite Dvorak symphony. That last movement is a corker!