Classical steel recordings?

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

I just remembered, theres a composer named Michael Levine who has written a pedal steel guitar concerto, that is to be premiered this fall in Nashville with the Nashville Symphony and Paul Franklin.

Part of the problem we who are playing classical music face is that the classical music community is devided into 2 schools of thought. One of which says that the music is written in stone and MUST be played in the instruments for which it was written. Generally speaking, the people who think this was don't recognize the steel or even the electric guitar as legitimate musical instruments. (You would not believe how much fecal matter I've received from these kind of people.)

The other group is more open to interpretations of the classics by modern instruments. the opening sentence in the Review of my Firebird Suite that appeared in Audio magazine says it all.

David Doggett · Posted 13 Jun 2003 5:44 pm

Mike, if those instrument purists had their way we'd still be playing bone flutes and one-string diddly bows. This reminds of when I was growing up and started in the school band and wanted to play sax. My mom 'lowed as how she guessed that would be okay, since I already played the piano, which was a true classical instrument. My dad studied classical piano through college and was a killer player, but he also liked jazz, so he thought it would be cool for me to play sax. Then I took a turn for the worse and took my sax and played in a Rockabilly band. But what could I do, it was North Mississippi in 1959.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I just want to point out that classical music is hard to play. The score is unforgiving. I've tried a bit of it, but it's a long way from the things we steelers normally do. It's not easy to play exactly what's written on the page. Adding "feeling" to it, once you can play it, is another challenge.

I have the greatest respect for steel players who can play written concert music.

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Bobby Bowman · From: Cypress, Texas, USA, R.I.P.

Be on the lookout for a re-release of a Randy Beavers album. It's been redone and has three new tunes on it, one of which is Randy's superb rendition of "Jesu". And,,,, I think it will be done on his "new" old Emmons push pull.
BB

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David Doggett · Posted 14 Jun 2003 12:07 pm

b0b, well yeah some classical music is hard to play (some is impossible), but so are Buddy and Curley's (and now Paul Franklin's) versions (okay, for many of us those are impossible, too). But there is lots of slow harmonically simple classical music that would be easy to play technically.

And, just so some who don't read music and play classical music don't misunderstand, classical music is not normally sight-read cold. Typically one struggles with the first readings alone in practice at slow speed. After many times through it begins to get up to tempo without mistakes. For fast, long or complicated pieces this process may take months of daily practice. By that time one almost has the piece memorized and the written music is just used as a guide. At that point solo concert pieces are usually memorized entirely and performed without music. Through all this practice the exact notes become second nature. Ones ear knows if even one is missed anywhere (well, except in some of the dissonant and chaotic modern stuff, who can tell).

This process is not unlike the way steelers learn to play show piece songs and copy their favorite rides from their idols, except we learn the stuff by ear rather than from written music. It is harder for classical music, with or without the music, because the pieces are longer and not as repetitive.

Bands, orchestras and ensembles don't memorize but play from the music. But everyone has practiced their part alone many times, and the group may rehearse the piece many times. Much of this latter is not for becoming proficient at the hard points (you're supposed to do that in your individual practice), but mainly to work out the expression and dynamics to the conductors satisfaction.

That being said there are some studio classical instrument players who get very proficient at sight reading and are more or less expected to play whatever is put in front of them. But maybe a lot of typical studio backup stuff is not as difficult as the classical concert repetoire. If a piece were really difficult, music might be sent out ahead of time I would think, and maybe even rehearsed ensemble before going into the studio.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

I'd like to give kudos to Larry and David for their great insight, IMHO.

I also think that the most proficient sight readers are probably studio musicians, whether classically trained, or from the jazz field.

I was a session guest once back in the late 60's when my friend David Cohen was part of the guitar section, along with Tommy Tedesco and Dennis Budimir. They were sitting in a row, and David had the guitar solo. Mid-solo his guitar went out for some reason and Tedesco leaned over and finished the composed solo reading off David's chart!

That was a hoot to watch!

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David Doggett · Posted 14 Jun 2003 3:00 pm

Right, Herb, I think the jazz guys are the best at all of it. I think jazz is much harder to read than classical music (except for the most modern stuff) because it is more varied rhythmically and harmonically. And any good jazz man can stand up at any point and improvise indefinitely, then sit down and go right back to reading the score. That is just not done today in classical music, although in Bach's day they would improvise very complicated baroque music.

I gotta run downtown now and catch Dave Van Allen improvising some pedal steel with the Virginia band Last Train Home. Should be good.

[This message was edited by David Doggett on 14 June 2003 at 04:01 PM.]

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

I was just a teenager when I first heard Eddie Alkire play on the EHArp Tuning: L–H, C#,E,F,F#,G,G#,A,B,C#,E. I am not aware of any recordings by Mr. Alkire, however; he was quite interested in Classical Music at the time! Approx. 1950-51-52.

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Winnie Winston · From: Tawa, Wellington, NZ * R.I.P.

Read the whole thread and no one mentioned the magnificent Mozart tune that Lloy Green did a few years ago at Scotty's.
Breathtaking!

JW

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