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.

Rejected versions and rethinking releases

Determined to do everything right before releasing the second album, I contacted the music publishers to request permission for the repertoire in question, music by Hindemith, Tailleferre, Dutilleux, Gubaidulina, and Szőnyi. The publishers in turn contacted the composers' representatives. Since the composers were deceased, with the exception of Gubaidulina, these were usually their heirs.

What I didn't foresee when making these requests was the resistance that awaited. When I finally received replies, a lengthy process in itself – the longest arriving six months after I had initially reached out – it turned out that four of those five parties, one after the other, declined my request. Ultimately, the only piece for which I was able to obtain permission was the piece Variazioni, by courtesy of the publisher, Universal Music Publishing Editio Musica Budapest. Unfortunately, I did not receive any explanations as to why the other requests were rejected.

As an expert on music law later suggested, it's plausible that some publishers have a blanket response from the people representing the composers in situations like these, instead of having to make individual assessments of every request of this type. The consequences of this was that I had to drastically rethink the content of the second album. What was particularly unsatisfying about having to let go of so much recorded material – approx. 38 min of recorded music – was that several of the musicians that had participated in these recordings wouldn't be represented on the album in the end, including my duo partners Terese Lien Evenstad and Krister Andersson, as well as the quartet Derupeto. Even though I had recorded enough material to put together an album without these recordings, it was somewhat unsatisfying to have to let go of so much music.

For reference, I've included short excerpts of the non-approved versions below:

Recording 11.1. Interludium: Romantic miniature from Ludus Tonalis (P. Hindemith), Andersson & Knudsen. Recorded at Musikverket, Sandviken, 2022-02-11.

This adaptation is a version where Andersson and I play the original piece generally as written, with the clarinet playing the top voice of the treble staff. Most of the piece was repeated – except for the concluding section – as a framework for piano and clarinet solo.

Recording 11.2. Pastorale in D (G. Tailleferre), Evenstad & Knudsen. Recorded at Studio Epidemin, Göteborg, 2022-02-14.

In this version, Evenstad and I play the composed sections generally as written, with violin playing the lead part. Much of the improvisations take on the role of transitions from one part to another. This is also the case with the open introduction, where the theme is established gradually.

Recording 11.3. Prélude en berceuse (H. Dutilleux), Derupeto. Recorded at Kingside Studio, Gnesta, 2022-04-18. This version is very close to the original in terms of preserving melody and harmony. The sound and overall character is distinctly different, however, given that it is performed by a group with a fusion/world music expression. The solos, for guitar and piano, are based on repeated passages from the original.

Recording 11.4. Sonatine for Flute and Piano (H. Dutilleux), Knudsen & en en en. Recorded at Studio Øra, Trondheim, 2023-09-28.

In this version, the original work is modified in several ways, in a quartet arrangement for me and en en en. We're only playing two of the three movements from the original. In several places, melodic cells from the composition are expanded upon, in a way where the written parts gradually dissolve. There are also repeated passages for saxophone and piano solos, most tangibly in part two, which has the character of a Coltrane ballad.

Recording 11.5. Forest Musicians (S. Gubaidulina), septet. Live recording from Kapellet, Stockholm, 2024-03-08.

In this version, everything from the original score is distributed among the different musicians, with added moments of improvisation. Improvisations are open in duration and generally 'free'. First, there's an improvised dialog between bass (Söderqvist) and bass trombone (Hammar) over a repeated cluster from the composition. Then Forkelid plays a tenor sax solo over the same background. There's also an improvised exchange between piano (me) and vibraphone (Ståhl), with phrases from the composition as backgrounds.

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