Expanding horizons – Improvisational explorations of 20th-century classical music by Peter Knudsen

"Expanding horizons" is an Artistic research project carried out between 2021 (August) and 2024 (November) at NTNU, Trondheim. The objectives were to contribute to knowledge on how different kinds of departure points can be useful for musicians when approaching 20th-century Western classical music through improvisation, an understanding of how one can navigate and negotiate the musical language of this repertoire, and insights into how the tension between different performance values can be navigated in this process. The research questions were: When applying improvisation to works of 20th-century classical music, 1. What role does the choice and preparation of musical representations play? 2. How can we navigate and negotiate musical structures such as melody, harmony and form? 3. How can we navigate the tension between fidelity to the work and creative expression? Based on selected pieces from this repertoire and practical explorations together with participating musicians, various approaches to creating improvisational frameworks were then explored. These included a wide range of scores, including lead sheets and indeterminate notation, as well as ear-based methods. From the perspective of integrating improvisation into the performances, approaches such as repeating elements, working with layers, creating transitions, and introducing open sections were examined. A key point was to use melodic material as a way of building strong connections with the source material, rather than relying on harmonic representations of the music. In terms of balancing respect for the original work with creative freedom, a “healthy dose of disrespect” pervaded much of the explorations, allowing deviations from the originals when they were musically justified. Throughout the work processes, an idea of focal points emerged, as aspects to focus on when reworking a classical work into an improvisational version. These focal points included the score, historical and performative contexts, expressive qualities, and the improviser’s personal voice.

Overarching methodology

It has often been expressed that artistic research is characterized by "methodological pluralism" (Borgdorff, 2012); artistic researchers frequently borrow methods and methological approaches from disciplines such as the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and technology. In this sense, artist-researchers somewhat resemble jazz musicians who pick and adapt repertoire from any conceivable source; there’s not necessarily an adherence to a particular tradition, or a particular way of using the material.

Here, the artistic work – the foundation of the research – has been combined with a qualitative research methodology based on autoethnography and traditional ethnography. The rationale was that such an approach could reveal aspects of the tacit and embedded knowledge that is particular to music performers working with improvisation, and make visible how that knowledge might be applicable when working with 20th-century classical repertoire. Thus, there’s an emphasis on practitioner perspectives and, furthermore, to go beyond working with verbal modes of inquiry, as there are limitations for how such modes can convey knowledge related to musical practices. There are also certain pitfalls when engaging in verbalizations around musical processes that will be addressed. Here, an important reference has been the approaches to working with qualitative methods in relation to practical knowledge from Södertörn university, Sweden, as presented in the anthology Att utforska praktisk kunskap (= Exploring practical knowledge) (Gunnarsson, 2019). It should be remembered, however, that the qualitative research methodologies here are applied in a framework of artistic research; processes are investigated in and through the arts, as famously articulated by Borgdorff (2006). Not only does this have implications for how methods are approached, there is also an interconnectedness between the production of knowledge and the development of the artistic result, as parallel processes that are mutually dependent. This is further elaborated under research design.

(Auto)ethnography

Autoethnography can refer to a methodological approach – and, in more delimited sense, a form of research method and writing – that ”connect the autobiographical and personal to the cultural and social” (Ellis, 2004, p. xix). The view here is that the first-hand perspective of the researcher is seen as an asset, as it provides an opportunity to ”tap into legitimate and unique sources of knowledge and insight that come from a particular view of one’s place in the world.” (Stalke Wall, 2016, p.7). As such, it can provide insights to the unfolding of creative processes, including the revelatory moments that often accompany music making. However, autoethnography is not merely an investigation of auto, the self – a key principle is that it reaches a wider understanding of a particular phenomenon through situating the personal experiences in a larger context. In this sense, it distinguishes itself from autobiography or mere diary writing, forms of writing that often focuses on the lived experience of the author.

Although methodological approaches can vary – and the emphasis on auto or ethnography – in this project, the latter has a prominent role through the use of participant-observation – sometimes referred to as the ethnographic method – in combination with conversations and interviews, which can be seen as an extension of the auto. In the view of Adams & Herrmann (2023), applying ethnographic practices and techniques – such as fieldwork in ”natural settings” – is a pre-requisite for good autoethnography, in order to fulfill its ethno-graphical component. Here, the combination of perspectives has been seen as a form of data triangulation, where different sources contribute to illuminate different facets of the phenomenon under study. The advantage with such an approach is that it can give a more comprehensive understanding and a fuller exploration of the subject at hand (Heale & Forbes, 2013), increasing the credibility of the findings.

It should be recognized that autoethnography has received a lot of harsh criticism. Among other things, it has been described as introspective, individualized, poorly grounded in theory, and even ”narcissistic” (Delamont, 2007). This critique sometimes relates to its evocative writing style (Anderson, 2006), i.e., that it's written in a way that evokes a certain feeling from the reader, often using storytelling techniques. Ellis & Bochner (2006), for instance, sees this quality as essential. As Ellis puts it, ”I wouldn't think of applying the term 'autoethnography' to texts that are not evocative” (Ellis & Bochner, 2006, p. 435). However, as the field has developed – largely in parallel with artistic research – many varieties have emerged; e.g. analytic, evocative, impressionist, and realist autoethnography. The approach taken here generally resembles the approaches which are presented in Bartleet’s (2021) descriptions of artistic autoethnography, with related examples such as Mine Doğantan-Dack's (2012) study of the learning processes of classical musicians in performance situations, and Richard Perks’ (2019) autoethnographic account of his process of developing specific techniques and notation systems for fretless electric guitar.

Here's an overview of the methods and how they relate to different facets of the research: The introspective component of the research – the auto – involved studying the processes of preparing musical material – scores, arrangements and improvisational frameworks – improvising over this material, and reflecting over these processes. These reflections were captured through audio journaling, written journals and annotations in musical scores.

The study of sociocultural context – the ethno – in this project involved examining musical practices of participating improvisers, mainly in musical situations; music sessions, recording situations, performances, listening sessions, and reflections connected to these situations. These were carried out using participant-observation, which included informal conversations and semi-structured interviews.

In terms of writing – the graphy – the focus was on musical processes and negotiations related to the musical material, following the scope and research questions of the project. This means that the methodology of (auto)ethnography here is adapted from its more common emphasis on people or culture. Also, the writing has been structured based on salient themes, using reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes from the data. This analytical approach marks a contrast to more evocative types of autoethnographic writing.

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Peter Knudsen - Expanding horizons – Improvisational explorations of 20th-century classical music - 2025