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.

Limitations

Here, we address some of the limitations of the project. These are: heavy emphasis on scores, emphasis on pitch-based structures, wide scope of styles and expressions, and limited analysis of individual pieces.

Heavy emphasis on scores

Despite its focus on improvisation the project is, paradoxally enough, very text-heavy; score-based approaches were emphasized far more than audio-based approaches. This can be seen as an impetus for further research, research that focuses more on audio-based working methods and aural learning.

Emphasis on pitch-based structures

The project, in a sense, falls into a common pitfall in its heavy emphasis on pitch-based structures, i.e., melody and harmony. This is not unexpected, given the central role of these parameters in the Western classical repertoire and the scores that represent this music. However, since melody & harmony always occur in relation to rhythm – not to mention the role of other parameters – the results and the way they are described cannot be seen as ’the whole truth’, musically speaking. Here lies a possibility for further exploration, one in which other parameters are given more space.

Wide scope of styles and expressions

Due to its wide-ranging repertoire – within a musical umbrella that itself is highly heterogenous – it becomes somewhat difficult to draw general conclusions about the repertoire. This is a result of the open-ended exploratory nature of the work processes, which led to finding and employing repertoire that were perceived as suitable for different constellations. But, if the objective is to study one particular composer or style more in-depth from the perspective of improvisation, a more rigid approach to selecting repertoire would be preferrable.

Limited analysis of individual pieces

Examining a large number of pieces inevitably limits the extent to which the processes for each piece can be examined in detail. While this gives the possibility of comparing and drawing conclusions from a larger set, it also limits the possibility for in-depth analysis. An alternative for further research could be to work with case studies, focusing on a few selected pieces.

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