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From:  "lestaylor2003 <LesTaylor@a...
Date:  Fri Feb 21, 2003  5:30 pm
Subject:  Re: Question about legato

Dear Susan et al,
Steve's posts are great aren't they? I am so glad he's back. You
express yourself so well. I love the idea of the taffy pull!
************************
Susan wrote: "For me, the foundation of legato is understanding the
musical line as a continuous emotional force from before the piece
begins until after the last note is released. <snip> All the music
must ebb and flow to/from these points but with a feeling of pulling
taffy - it doesn't break, even during rests in the vocal line."
************************
While I see the technique of legato and the aesthetic of "line" as
different but related things, I basically agree with you. Energy must
be maintained in proper proportion in order to preserve the
continuity between phrases and to give the whole piece coherence.

Sometimes I ask students to stretch a rubber band as they sing, to
help them catch onto the idea of legato. That image sprang to mind
when you mentioned the taffey pull. Hey, at least you don't get
sticky fingers or gain weight!
Regards,
Les




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