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Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:25 am
by Art Hovey
In the Robert King edition (by Chester Roberts) on the last line of the last page (#43) it says "pieghevole". I have checked several musical dictionaries and have not found that word.

My guess is that it means something like "a piacera". Wikipedia has something in Italian, but when translated it seems to be about folding bicycles.

There must be someone in this extraordinarily learned bunch who can tell me what it means. Maybe someone in MA could ask Chester? (I understand that he is still playing in a band, but I don't know how to get in touch with the guy who told me.)

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:49 am
by Tubainsauga
From the translations I kind find it means everything from folding to pliable, so I suspect the meaning is freely or flexible? Kind of cadenza like maybe? At least that's what I'd do (though I have to confess to not having made it to number 43 yet).

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:59 am
by Todd S. Malicoate
Pieghevole = "collapsing"

In a musical context, the editor (or composer, perhaps) most likely wishes for the tempo and volume to gradually decrease to the end of the piece.

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:39 am
by Pozzie
Hi,
I'm Italian, but I never read the term pieghevole in a musical contex (I've not your Bordogni edition)... It's a unusual indication! :shock:
Pieghevole means literally "folding"...
:idea: In a musical contex, if it's related to tempo I suppose it stand for "flexible", "alterable". In Italian it could be "a piacere".
If it's related to dynamics, maybe the correct interpretation is just "collapsing", but I'm not so sure. :oops:
For certain it's a very strange and unusual musical term! :!:

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:57 am
by JB
Art Hovey wrote:In the Robert King edition (by Chester Roberts) on the last line of the last page (#43) it says "pieghevole". I have checked several musical dictionaries and have not found that word.

My guess is that it means something like "a piacera". Wikipedia has something in Italian, but when translated it seems to be about folding bicycles.

There must be someone in this extraordinarily learned bunch who can tell me what it means. Maybe someone in MA could ask Chester? (I understand that he is still playing in a band, but I don't know how to get in touch with the guy who told me.)
[1] Perhaps David A. Schwartz would be able to help as a result of his Bordogni research and publishing. I have found him to be very courteous and prompt in replying with the few inquiries I have had regarding Bordogni and the Vocalises.

dschwar at verizon dot net

http://mysite.verizon.net/~dschwar/index.html

[2] Or maybe Edwin Anderson could assist, as he has done research for his own published editions. (retired faculty member of Indiana University School of Music).

hardbrassmedia at yahoo dot com

http://www.hardbrassmedia.com/bordogni.html

[3] Michael Mulcahy, trombonist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, has edited and annotated a new edition of the Bordogni vocalises. I believe he can be contacted through the CSO office.

[4] Amy Salo did some additional Bordogni research (particularly regarding ornamentation). I do not have current contact info for her, and her website link seems to be a dead link (or temporarily down)

http://www.amysalo.com

Please share if you find a definitive answer.

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:23 pm
by imperialbari
If you interpret the term as folding, then you might find references to relevant tubas on this page:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34417&start=12

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:41 am
by eupher61
my favorite in the tuba edition is still "allegretto con garbo"

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:23 am
by David
eupher61 wrote:my favorite in the tuba edition is still "allegretto con garbo"
as in Gretta?

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:46 pm
by eupher61
David wrote:
eupher61 wrote:my favorite in the tuba edition is still "allegretto con garbo"
as in Gretta?
I don't think so, but that's what I figured for a long time. Someone once found a definition of "con garbo" and showed it to me, but I don't remember what it is/was at all.

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:15 am
by David
haha. I was of course joking :) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001256/" target="_blank

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:16 am
by Art Hovey
"con garbo" is in my tattered pocket musical dictionary; it means "gracefully".

Greta Garbo's original name was Greta Lovisa Gustafsson. Perhaps Mauritz Stiller knew what he was doing when he gave her the stage name. This was way before Johnny Rotten, even before Dave Tough.

Thanks for the info about "pieghevole". Now it makes perfect sense.
What an amazing resource we have here!

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:32 am
by Pozzie
Art Hovey wrote:"con garbo" is in my tattered pocket musical dictionary; it means "gracefully".
Yes, I confirm: con garbo means gracefully

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:35 am
by imperialbari
Pozzie wrote:
Art Hovey wrote:"con garbo" is in my tattered pocket musical dictionary; it means "gracefully".
Yes, I confirm: con garbo means gracefully
Sure it doesn’t say gracekelly?

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:46 am
by Pozzie
imperialbari wrote:
Pozzie wrote:
Art Hovey wrote:"con garbo" is in my tattered pocket musical dictionary; it means "gracefully".
Yes, I confirm: con garbo means gracefully
Sure it doesn’t say gracekelly?
:lol: ...Or maybe gracekellyberg!

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:04 am
by imperialbari
Pozzie wrote:
Pozzie wrote:
Art Hovey wrote:"con garbo" is in my tattered pocket musical dictionary; it means "gracefully".
Yes, I confirm: con garbo means gracefully
Sure it doesn’t say gracekelly?
:lol: ...Or maybe gracekellyberg!
Could only be said by somebody too young to know Albert’s mommy.

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:27 am
by Pozzie
imperialbari wrote: :lol: ...Or maybe gracekellyberg!
Could only be said by somebody too young to know Albert’s mommy.[/quote]
I'm young, but I know Grace Kelly. It was just a pun!

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:35 am
by imperialbari
Pozzie wrote:
imperialbari wrote: :lol: ...Or maybe gracekellyberg!
Could only be said by somebody too young to know Albert’s mommy.
I'm young, but I know Grace Kelly. It was just a pun![/quote]

How comes? Never guessed that? Glitter gold?

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 10:53 am
by David Schwartz
JB wrote: Perhaps David A. Schwartz would be able to help as a result of his Bordogni research and publishing. I have found him to be very courteous and prompt in replying with the few inquiries I have had regarding Bordogni and the Vocalises.
Thanks for the kind words, JB.

Bordogni himself, and Rochut and Keith Brown also, used a piacere in this study. But Chester Roberts' whimsical sense of humor must have been operating on this last page of his 1972 edition. Chester is still full of mischief in his 88th year, but his 2009 revision, when Alphonse Leduc publishes it, will change the instruction to liberamente.

P.S. I spoke with Chester today, and he says that he had in mind, "tentatively." In his Edgren's Italian-English and English-Italian dictionary, the translation is, "very pliant and flexible."

David

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:00 am
by Art Hovey
David,
Thank you for the clarification.
What's your opinion about Bordogni's trills?
Someone here posted a reply a couple of years ago saying that they should begin on the lower note, since the stuff was written after 1800.
But to my ears they sound better starting on the upper note, and that's the way I like to play them.
I am not sure what I should tell my students who may be using them in auditions.

Re: Strange Musical Term in Bordogni

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:05 am
by JB
Art Hovey wrote:David,
Thank you for the clarification.
What's your opinion about Bordogni's trills?
Someone here posted a reply a couple of years ago saying that they should begin on the lower note, since the stuff was written after 1800.
But to my ears they sound better starting on the upper note, and that's the way I like to play them.
I am not sure what I should tell my students who may be using them in auditions.
:idea: Perhaps the Amy Salo article "Bordogni's Ornaments" would be helpful.

:arrow: http://www.furman.edu/depts/music/event ... mySalo.pdf