Whirlwind

[anita-briggs–2]

Who plays Whirlwind at 192 per quarter?

Anita Briggs

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

On a good day, me. Lucile Lawrence. Carlos Salzedo. Heidi Lehwalder, I’m sure. Alice Giles, I would think. You’d be surprised what is possible. Flight at 152 is possible.

[unknown-user]

I agree that it would be more feasible than you imagine. But should you play it that fast? I don’t so. In my opinion, it just wouldn’t sound good. I think I played it at maybe 168. As long as you make it sound like a whirlwind, the tempo really shouldn’t matter.

The correct tempo is the tempo that produces the correct character. Always.

~Sam

[unknown-user]

Sorry that’s supposed to be “I don’t think so,” not “I don’t so.”

[unknown-user]

Actually, I take that back. I just listened to Lucille Lawrence’s recording. It’s right at 192. It sounds wonderful, so I take it back that 192 wouldn’t sound good (I thought I had measured it a few years ago and found it to be about 170), but I like it a bit slower personally.

~Sam

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

If you have clarity and musicality, fast playing doesn’t necessarily sound fast. It is easy to judge too hastily. While one is tempted to focus on the right hand, the left hand is of vital importance to Whirlwind.

[unknown-user]

Even if you have musicality and clarity, music can be simply too fast. But, you usually can’t do both – play too fast and have clarity and musicality, so it’s basically a nonissue. But of course, the left hand is arguably the more important hand in Whirlwind. The right hand makes the atmosphere of the pieces, but the left hand IS the piece. Does you know what I mean?

~Sam

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