Impossible?

When medieval architects and craftsmen created the exquisite figures and decorations for their cathedrals, they did so with all their skill and love, giving their very best, not asking where these works of art would be placed: in the front for everybody to admire, or in a dark corner or high up on the tower for no human eye to see. They could not know that one day, by helicopter and telephoto lens the undifferentiated beauty of all their creations would be revealed to mankind as a shining example of the highest artistical conception.

No doubt this same attitude was to be found with musicians of bygone centuries, but exemplary conscientiousness and that high sense of duty towards art and its works have become rather rare in the course of the last century. Our oldest brass players’ generation of today will certainly testify that already in their younger days these qualities were disappearing. There is f.i. a remark by Richard Strauss, made when conducting «Don Juan» in 1890, stating that «fifty notes more or less do not count really». «Only colour counts» said those who used to whisk more or less elegantly over troublesome or — in their eyes — unimportant tutti passages.

It did not seem to matter much if some brass instrument squeaked or missed, as happened to a conscientious elderly trumpeter in the «Alpensinfonie» at the dreaded «climb to the top»: Richard Strauss who conducted himself, patted the crushed veteran good-naturedly on the back, saying: «Ah well, this time we didn’t make the top!...» Yet Strauss could make quite cutting remarks as well: one day a somewhat conceited virtuoso advised Strauss to alter an «utterly impossible» passage or to explain at least how it was meant or should be played. Strauss answered: «The passage is meant as it is written. And how it should be played, my dear Herr Professor, will surely and shortly be shown to you by one of your more talented pupils. Until then you can leave out what seems impossible to you — but mind, we should never consider anything impossible. I think it should sound as I wrote it and I cannot alter anything, not even one note.»