Legato (English)

Contributions by Interviewees

• Michel Arrignon
• Paolo Beltramini 1, 2
• Gerald Kraxberger
• Seunghee Lee
• Harri Mäki 1, 2, 3
• Heinrich Mätzener 1, 2
• Pascal Moraguès 1, 2, 3
• John Moses
• Frédéric Rapin
• Milan Rericha
• David Shifrin 1, 2

Historical sources

Legato (from the Italian legare = to link) means the seamless joining of two or more notes. In the German-language music methods of the 18th century, this style of playing is called "schleifen" [to glide] and is depicted with a bow under or over the notes to played legato.
For Leopold Mozart (1756), this notation also means that groups of notes joined with the “semicircle," are to be begun strongly and the following notes are to be executed in a diminuendo. If this rule is followed, the result is lively playing, where groups of notes that do not begin on the strong beats of the bar seem syncopated.

„Es ist aber nicht genug, daß man dergleichen Figuren nach der angezeigten Strichart platt wegspiele: man muß sie auch so vortragen, daß die Veränderung gleich in die Ohren fällt. [...] Wenn nun in einem musikalischen Stücke 2, 3, 4 und noch mehr Noten durch den Halbcirkel zusammenverbunden werden, daß man daraus erkennet, der Componist wolle solche Noten nicht abgesondert sondern in einem Schleifer singbar vorgetragen wissen: so muß man die erste solcher vereinbarten Noten etwas stärker angreifen, die übrigen aber ganz gelind und immer etwas stiller daran schleifen.““

„It is not enough, however, to play such figures flatly according to the indicated strokes: they must also be performed in such a way that the change immediately falls on the ears. [...] If, in a musical piece 2, 3, 4 or even more notes are joined together by the semicircle, so that one recognizes that the composer does not want such notes to be played separately, but rather in a slide, so that they can be sung, then one must attack the first of such notes somewhat more strongly, but the remaining notes must slide very gently and always somewhat more quietly.“

– Leopold Mozart: Violinschule S. 135, § 20.

Jean-Xavier Lefèvre (1810) points out in his "Methode" that practicing scales at a slow tempo and with a good legato is one of the most important prerequisites for good instrumental technique:

„Si l'on veut parvenir à bien jouer cet instrument, il faut faire beaucoup de gammes très lentement de manière à ce que les sons soient bien liés et bien nuancés: outre que cela procure beaucoup de respiration, cela donne aussi une embouchure ferme, et une belle qualité de son.“

„If one's aim is to play this instrument well, one must always play the scales very slowly, with cultivated legato and with nuanced dynamics: this promotes good breathing and reinforces the embouchure. This results in a good sound quality.“

– Jean-Xavier Lefèvre: Méthode S.32

In addition to recommending legato playing, Jean-Xavier Lefèvre points out that too soft a reed makes legato playing more difficult.

Playing technique tips - Contributions by Interviewees

Continuous air flow and breath support

Different schools agree that only a combination of several technique parameters makes it possible to play a singing, supple legato. Exhalation and breath support must remain continuously activated (Paolo Beltramini 1, 2, Gerald Kraxberger, Seunghee Lee). However, the turbulence in the vibration of the air column that arises during register changes and larger leaps should be accompanied by appropriate voicing (Harri Mäki, David Shifrin, James Campbell, Heinrich Mätzener).
In addition to reliable responses during tone changes, dynamic and tonal balance are also features of artistically valuable legato playing. Often the complex tasks of embouchure, breathing, finger technique, and voicing absorb all attention. The pupil’s ability to listen and critically judge his legato quality is a very high demand. Here in particular, teachers have the challenge of drawing attention to unbalanced tonal changes and consistently demanding improvements. Often this is not a rewarding task (Michel Arrignon).

The continuity of the air flow is connected musically with a horizontal flow of the music. Harri Mäki points out that vertically oriented musical events are the exception. Taking the horizontal principle as the basis for musical phrasing leads to success not only in legato playing, but also in all finger-technical challenges and all variations of non-legato, including staccato playing.

Controlled finger movements

Allegro In fast, virtuoso passages, the power, size and speed of the finger movements can contribute contour and brilliance to the tone changes (Frédéric Rapin, Heinrich Mätzener, Pascal Moraguès)

Adagio The demands are higher in slow tempi. Pascal Moraguès and Seunghee Lee recommend the smallest possible finger movements, which should be gentle and should under no circumstances be percussive.

The technique founded by Daniel Bonade, the "legato finger," is recommended by Harri Mäki and John Moses:

1. Upward movements: before the change of fingerings, the fingers involved in the movement press a little harder on the keys or tone holes. The legato movement occurs as a release of this pressure.
2. Downward movements: Before the change of grip, the fingers involved are lifted slightly and then move in a controlled, evenly slow movement on the clarinet.

The movements feel like squeezing or releasing a pressure on a tennis ball.

David Shifrin takes a different approach. He compares the finger movements in slow legato playing with those of a cellist: so that as many overtones as possible resonate on the stringed instrument with each new note played, the cello strings are pressed firmly onto the fingerboard, but without a percussive character.
Frédéric Rapin’s technique goes in the same direction, taking care to always guide the finger movements from the first finger joint. This results in concentrated movements, slowly guided by a certain force.

Voicing and singing...

Especially in larger leaps and when changing registers, voicing plays an important role along with control over finger movements, embouchure, and air flow. [David Shifrin#Legato - more than just the fingers|David Shifrin]] speaks of "voicing of the wind." He uses the tongue shape and position to maintain continuity and speed of the airflow during changes of fingering, or even to increase it somewhat. This helps to prevent the turbulence in the instrument's air column, caused by changes of tone and register, from affecting the consistency of the airflow. If adjustments of the tongue position are necessary during jumps, they should be kept to a minimum.

...with a stable embouchure

Michel Arrignon, Gerald Kraxberger, Heinrich Mätzener, Harri Mäki, Frédéric Rapin, all agree that embouchure stability plays an important role in tone changes. The ability to play even the most difficult leaps and register changes with a stable embouchure - but with agile voicing - is also considered a prerequisite for good staccato quality.

Applied research

The importance of modified voicing in the clarino and high register has been investigated by numerous research teams, including Montserrat Pàmies-Vilà (2020). Their analysis showed that modified vowel shaping supports shorter transients and helps to avoid resonances in the lower range (called "underblowing") when playing in the clarino register.
Claudia Fritz et al. (2005) were able to prove that, especially in the clarino register, the vowel shaping [i] compared to the vowel shaping [a] led to better results in the response.