Comments on: An Interview with Larry McDonald- Part 2 http://www.classicalguitar.org/2009/02/larry-mcdonald-interview-2/ Classical Guitar Lessons, Interview, News, Tips & More Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:11:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Lare http://www.classicalguitar.org/2009/02/larry-mcdonald-interview-2/#comment-301 Lare Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:31:21 +0000 http://www.classicalguitarblog.net/?p=582#comment-301 JJ, If you have listened to the .mp3's from the Conservatory Tutor on my site, you would be correct that I play like a metronome. In fact, I WAS playing with a metronome in the recording studio. I did this so the new student can play along and learn to anticipate the next beat. Believe me, recording without a metronome is a lot easier. Playing like a metronome is criticism I have never heard before. In fact, I have heard that I can approach the "poor taste" cliff-edge because my interpretations are too personal. (I mostly hear this from academics, bye the way). I'm very curious, when and where did you hear me play when you came to this conclusion? All the best, Larry McDonald JJ,
If you have listened to the .mp3′s from the Conservatory Tutor on my site, you would be correct that I play like a metronome. In fact, I WAS playing with a metronome in the recording studio. I did this so the new student can play along and learn to anticipate the next beat. Believe me, recording without a metronome is a lot easier.

Playing like a metronome is criticism I have never heard before. In fact, I have heard that I can approach the “poor taste” cliff-edge because my interpretations are too personal. (I mostly hear this from academics, bye the way). I’m very curious, when and where did you hear me play when you came to this conclusion?

All the best,
Larry McDonald

]]> By: jj http://www.classicalguitar.org/2009/02/larry-mcdonald-interview-2/#comment-293 jj Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:56:39 +0000 http://www.classicalguitarblog.net/?p=582#comment-293 Don't let Larry McDonald's words fool you, when he talks about "acanemic style". He himself plays like a metronome. So do you. So did Brouwer in his recordings (his Scarlatti is disgusting, even by modern sterile standards - no wonder he did not have it remastered!). So does Yates. So does Li Jie. So does Xuefei Yang. So does Carlo Marchione, Pavel Steidl - even if to a lesser degree. etc. etc. Because: music is not about finding style, within a framework of fixed sheetmusic. Rather, it's about finding expression, and letting everything else (metronome, pulse, score, academic sterility) be of lesser importance. Don’t let Larry McDonald’s words fool you, when he talks about “acanemic style”. He himself plays like a metronome. So do you. So did Brouwer in his recordings (his Scarlatti is disgusting, even by modern sterile standards – no wonder he did not have it remastered!). So does Yates. So does Li Jie. So does Xuefei Yang. So does Carlo Marchione, Pavel Steidl – even if to a lesser degree. etc. etc.

Because: music is not about finding style, within a framework of fixed sheetmusic.

Rather, it’s about finding expression, and letting everything else (metronome, pulse, score, academic sterility) be of lesser importance.

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