Between Performance and Notation: How did Carl Reinecke understand Mozart’s piano concerto No.26 K.537?
(2024)
author(s): Mako Kodama
published in: KC Research Portal
Carl Reinecke (1824-1910) was a German composer, pianist, conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and professor at the Leipzig Conservatory. His piano performances were admired by Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt, and he was reputed as "the greatest and most sincere Mozart player of his time."However, you may be surprised on listening for the first time to his performances preserved on piano rolls, since there is noticeable use of expressive practices such as manual asynchrony, unnotated arpeggiation, and rubato (flexibility of rhythm and tempo), which is quite far from the kind of performance style that is considered good today.
This research clarifies the features of the performance practices audible in early piano rolls, such as those by Reinecke. It focuses on how he arranged and notated the Larghetto from Mozart's Piano Concerto No.26 K.537 for piano solo, how he performed it on piano roll (1905), and how he described the performance of the movement in his book Zur Wiederbelebung der Mozart'schen Clavier-Concerte (1891). The discrepancies between the three source materials give an insight into the implied performance practices of Reinecke’s time and his tacit knowledge. The research culminates with personal experimentation and reflection on how these performance practices can expand the freedom and possibilities of the author’s performances.
The Art of Arpeggiation
(2019)
author(s): Niels Pfeffer
published in: KC Research Portal
Student Number
3167720
Supervisor(s)
Patrick van Deurzen
Title
The Art of Arpeggiation
Research Question
How many different ways of arpeggiation is it possible to think of and how is musical meaning created through them?
Summary
This research is about discovering the expressive possibilities of arpeggiation – may it be indicated by an arpeggio sign or added arbitrarily by a performer. For two reasons this question seems relevant: 1. In the past century, the idea that musical performance should be an exact reproduction of the score has become increasingly predominant and in consequence the idea of exact synchronity has evolved. Seeking for a more creative and less reproducing way to perform, breaking up this rigid synchronity provides us with an exciting "playground" yet to be explored. 2. Particularly on the classical guitar arpeggiation can frequently be heard – often for more technical than musical reasons. Especially on this instrument, a more reflected use is desirable. It was barely looked at the rules on what happens "inside" an arpeggiation. A reason for that might be, that everything inside an arpeggiation usually occurs very rapidly which makes it a lot harder to be analyzed. Besides that, often in arpeggiation the performer relies on "automatic" processes that are difficult to be modified consciously. I propose the idea, that arpeggiation consists of multiple layers of meaning that can be put together in any possible combination. The layers of arpeggiation span with increasing subtlety from habitual arpeggiation to a meticulously planned effect. In the presentation I will demonstrate this concept by showing different ways and meanings of arpeggiation in recordings and on my instrument.
Short Bio
Niels Pfeffer finished his harpsichord studies at the Stuttgart University of Music under Jörg Halubek and his guitar studies with Johannes Monno in 2017. He is studying in master with Robert Hill in Freiburg (harpsichord) and with Zoran Dukić in The Hague (guitar). With the guitar he won numerous prizes at renowned competitions. He is passionate about playing continuo on theorbo and harpsichord. With both instruments he took part in opera and orchestra performances. As member of different early music ensembles he has been regularly successful in competitions. At the University of Music Stuttgart he is teaching continuo and theorbo.
Fast Notes!
(2017)
author(s): Wouter Verschuren
published in: KC Research Portal
The purpose of this research is to investigate the different ways of articulating fast passagework on the dulcian in repertoire spanning the period ca.1550 until ca.1700. Prior to 1787, when Etienne Ozi published his first edition of the Nouvelle Methode de Basson, there are no sources known that specifically discuss articulation or (double) tonguing on bass double reed instruments. When we perform music from this era, we are in the dark as how to articulate highly virtuosic passages. What is preferable: Two-by-two slurring? Slurs over more notes, or maybe the use of some kind of double tongue-stroke?
During this research I will focus on primary sources that deal with articulation on various non-reed wind instruments of the period in question, such as the recorder, the cornetto and the trumpet. By studying the indications and recommendations given by masters of the past we can deduce their musical intensions. When we accept these authors as our guides, they may be able to help us imagining what articulation on a double-reed instrument could sound like. The moment we envision this concept, we can start to translate their instructions into articulation on reed instruments.
The output is threefold:
1. A paper describing the different ways on how to articulate fast passagework on the dulcian and on the bassoon in a way that matches the souplesse and speed of non-reed instruments.
2. Two compositions written for the dulcian, with added articulation-markings by the author.
3. Video examples clarifying some musical examples.
With this project I hope to shed light on practical issues of the performance of highly virtuosic repertoire for dulcian and bassoon from the sixteenth and seventeenth century.