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.

Conclusions

When applying improvisation to works of 20th-century classical music,

1. What role does the choice and preparation of musical representations play?

Working with original scores written for solo instruments proved to be effective across various ensemble sizes, in particular when it was a priority to preserve a high degree of detail from the original. Added chord symbols and other types of annotations were useful in this context, as references to the underlying harmony or other departure points. However, challenges emerged due to the specificity of this type of score, which sometimes made it difficult to move beyond the written material. An alternative notation like the lead sheet could then offer more openness and flexibility. Yet, the simplified nature of lead sheets raised concerns regarding their ability to fully convey the complexity of the music. In particular, chord symbols were perceived as limited from the perspective of conveying linear movement, complex sonorities or non-tertian harmony. Other perceived risks related to verticalization – where music is only seen as harmonic information – and reductionist interpretations in general. An alternative to the basic lead sheet form could be found in extended lead sheets, a lead sheet with additional details written out; chord voicings, bass lines, etc., as an approach for including prioritized details in a score. Alternative approaches like indeterminate notation were found to be particularly useful for focusing on particular parameters and building blocks, such as melodic cells or other building blocks found in the source material. Such cells were used in combination with open score formats like ’collage scores’, as a way of moving away from the chronology of more traditional score types and providing more space for the improvisers.

A general challenge addressed with score-based approaches was their risk of limiting the listening and interaction that is crucial for improvisation. In this light, working with audio-based approaches presented an alternative thanks to the emphasis on listening, through aural learning or improvisation with audio recordings as backgrounds. Such recordings could also serve as creative stimuli for collective ensemble improvisation, or be used in combination with improvised overdubs.

2. How can we navigate and negotiate musical structures such as melody, harmony and form?

Various approaches were tried out for how improvisation can be integrated into the compositions, through actions related to repeating elements in the music, extending passages, and adding open sections in the form of introductions, transitions, interludes and endings. The approach of combining improvisation and composed elements, e.g., by using layers, presented itself as an alternative where the original form was preserved.

From the perspective of melody and harmony, melody often served as an important reference point when improvising over the repertoire, where approaches such as improvising in/out of melodies were perceived as fruitful. While common improvisation strategies worked well for much of the repertoire – i.e., using guide tone lines, connecting chords through common notes, and focusing on harmonic landmarks– the applicability of such approaches was limited for pieces whose language went far beyond functional harmony. Chord/scale-thinking often proved to be too limited, in particular in relation to music by Dutilleux and Takemitsu. With complex melodic material, such as twelve-tone or atonal pieces, more open approaches to improvisation were preferred. For handling complex sonorities, repeated playing, listening, and adapting were seen as effective methods, sometimes in combination with applying sounds in composition. Expanding on musical languages was also perceived as rewarding when based on other things than melody and harmony, such as ideas and principles taken from a particular composer.

3. How can we navigate the tension between fidelity to the work and creative expression?

Finding the right amount of respect seemed to play a certain role in the processes. On one hand, having an excessive amount of respect for the material could be seen as stifling the creative processes; on the other hand, too little might diminish the music's artistic value. A general attitude that pervaded much of the musical work was having 'a healthy dose of disrespect', in a sense of being open to other alternatives than what was specified in the score. In other words, to choose alternatives that go beyond the intentions of the composer when one feels musically justified in doing so.

Besides questions related to respect, different types of focal points were salient in the practical explorations and/or reflections surrounding these processes:

1. The score – to follow the score in a creative sense, by interpreting it in other instrument constellations, in combination with different ways of integrating improvisation.

2. The context of the piece – to bring out things related to the background of the piece and/or the composer; things that reinforce something in the piece, or illuminate new facets of the piece.

3. The expression of the piece – to reinforce expressive qualities in the piece, which may relate to character, dynamics, articulation; qualities that may be prioritized over pitches.

4. The context of the performer – to bring out things that resonate with the performer, which may relate to aspects such as style, tradition, performance practice; things that reinforce something in the piece, or illuminate new facets of the piece.

5. Improvisational freedom – to prioritize open departure points for improvisation, removing restraints that inhibit improvisers.

6. The improviser’s voice – to emphasize one’s improvisational voice when playing melodies; ’hearing the voices’ of performers as a guide when creating re-imagined versions.

7. The room – to focus on the sounding manifestation of the music in the room, the present moment.

Musical outcome

The main musical outcome took the form of two album releases:
All in Twilight – David Härenstam & Peter Knudsen (Daphne Records 2023)

Reimaginations – Peter Knudsen (Skaleidoscope Music 2024)

A public presentation based on selected parts of this repertoire was given on October 23, 2024 in Trondheim. This combined output represent the wide range of the project; from reimagined versions that sometimes follow the score closely – in small chamber music settings as well as jazz ensembles – to sometimes go far beyond the source. A common denominator for the albums were a strive to establish a strong connection with the source material and to achieve a balance between the composed and improvised sections. The albums also feature examples of expanding on musical languages of composers, which can be observed in new compositions and free improvisation.

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