LEADING FROM THE HARPSICHORD: A HISTORICAL INFORMED APPROACH TO EARLY MUSIC 'CONDUCTING'
(2023)
author(s): Pablo Devigo
published in: KC Research Portal
The harpsichord enjoyed a preponderant role at the end of the 17th century, not only on its own but, in the words of C. P. E. Bach, as an instrument "entrusted [...] with full command" and "in the best position to assist [...] the entire ensemble in maintaining a uniform pace."
The following is a study of the aspects related to ensemble leadership as exerted by the harpsichordist. For this, this research draws conclusions from historical sources in regards to the influence of the basso continuo realization in the ensemble, and other non-verbal communication devices (such as gestures) in order to reveal a global picture of this kind of leadership that was particularly prevalent at the time.
16th-Century Keyboard Tablature as Performance Notation
(2020)
author(s): Christina Kwon
published in: KC Research Portal
As a harpsichordist and HIP performer, I was so fascinated with 16th-century keyboard tablature notation on my first encounter some years ago. Since then, I have been inspired to explore playing from original notation as part of my HIP training. This research is a big part of this artistic endeavor, addressing 16th-century keyboard tablature notation from Spanish and German sources and finding answers for what it is, why it was invented, why it is not in practice today, and how one may bring it back to practice. At the beginning stages of this exploration, I noticed that keyboard tablature was not really in practice as performance notation in the current HIP dialogue. I wanted to investigate why and, through this thesis, present it as a relevant, stimulating topic. This research presents historical and theoretical analysis of this notation and the results of an extensive systematic experiment-survey I devised and conducted with 32 non-musicians and musicians of all levels. Personally, the contents of this thesis have greatly deepened my understanding of historical performance of keyboard music in the 16th century and enriched my experience as an Early Music performer.
Moving early music: Improvisation and the work-concept in seventeenth-century French keyboard performance
(last edited: 2023)
author(s): Mark Edwards
connected to: Academy of Creative and Performing Arts
This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
At present, historically-informed performance (HIP) functions simultaneously as an established musical tradition and as a method for artistic inquiry and renewal. HIP’s capacity to effect change within artistic practice is, however, constrained by its own doxa. This study of Mark Edwards therefore asks the question: what kinds of new practices might have once been, and might still become possible without the influence of the work-concept? Using the keyboard music of Jacques Champion de Chambonnières as its central case study, this dissertation proposes understanding a piece’s fluid range of identities using the concept of mouvance, conceived as a kind of variance that arises within performances and is acknowledged by cultural participants (audiences and performers). Moreover, this study attempts to re-create this practice of mouvance by also re-creating the improvisational practice upon which mouvance relied. To that end, it adapts and extends existing research on historical improvisation (particularly studies of partimento) using techniques from computational musicology. It puts forward an “inductive” approach to style re-creation and improvisation pedagogy in which techniques and procedures are extrapolated from highly specific repertoires. Through mouvance, this study thus offers a new and historically-informed approach for applying the insight gained through improvisational practice to the creative performance of historical repertoires.
Basso continuo sources from the Dutch Republic c. 1620-c1790
(last edited: 2023)
author(s): Kathryn Cok
connected to: Academy of Creative and Performing Arts
This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
The results presented in this dissertation, written by Kathryn Cok, demonstrate the generous contribution that the Dutch Republic has made to the genre of basso continuo, including a survey of twenty-six Dutch sources from the 17th and 18th centuries. Focus has been made on the written record of the practice in the Dutch Republic of the time, including method books, music books where mention is made of basso continuo, dictionaries with detailed descriptions of the practice, and translated foreign treatises, all helping to paint a picture of how the practice was put into effect. Special attention has been given to a relatively unknown manuscript by Jan Alensoon.
Significant Meaninglessnesses
(last edited: 2020)
author(s): Hans Knut Sveen
This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
This solo recording is motivated by an intention to present Girolamo Frescobaldis dance pieces, galliards and correntes, from his book 2 (1637), in a setup with music of more "substantial" character, such as the improvisational and madrigal-like toccatas, polyphonic canzonas and the larger scaled variation work on the passacaglia. Are parts of it considered more meaningful or important when a composer like Frescobaldi publishes his pieces in a specific order and that hints in the preface that the essential part of the publication are the toccata-pieces? Are the shorter dance pieces at the end of the music book considered less significant?
The title of the recording plays around with the paradox which might occur when we consider music as more or less important or significant. In his preface to the collection, granting the reader liberty to remain practical when performing the music, Frescobaldi’s significant way of demonstrating ‘meaninglessness' trigged the overall performance of the pieces, to read them thoroughly and yet to play them with ease.