Chapter 3
Artistic work: View from a high mountain (second phase of the research)

 Ex. 3.1 Score, performance instruction and audio

Part 1

Part I is an arrangement of the theme of the Goldberg variations for the ensemble. Every note from the original is in it. There is some added material that just serves the purpose of adding color. This is especially done in the piano part in the final bars:

Ex. 3.2

The original theme is in the left hand; in the right hand coloring materials are added.

Part II is called "Komprovisation". This title expresses that it is a composed model to improvise on. This part consists of 4 phrases, each phrase containing 8 harmonies. Although the harmonies are composed material, they remotely associate to the harmonies of the theme by Bach. Similarities are remote associations, not quotes. To clarify the similarities, in the following example the harmonies of the second part are given next to the harmonies of the theme by Bach:

Ex. 3.3 Harmonies in Part II                                                           Ex. 3.4 Harmonies of the theme by Bach

As is clear from the examples the number of harmonies in each phrase is equal to that in the theme by Bach, apart from the final chord that is held twice as long instead of having two different chords. Considering the fact that in the Goldberg Theme each half is repeated, and the Komprovisation does not have these repetitions, the Komprovisation would be just half the length of the Theme. This will be compensated however by the fact that the harmonies of the Komprovisation will be held about twice as long. Thus, the Komprovisation will end up having about the same the duration as the Goldberg Theme.

The Komprovisation could be considered a modern reflection on the Goldberg Theme. Composed is the similarity in the harmonic phrasing; improvised will be melodic movement by the musicians. In the recordings is clearly audible in which ways the performers succeeded in connecting improvised material to the Goldberg Theme. 

Part III is an arrangement of Variation 20 for the ensemble. The arrangement has slight changes: the repetition of each half has a rhythmical insert in the piano part that connects to a movement that is the starting point in Part V. The following example shows this rhythmical movement in the piano.

Ex. 3.5

Part IV again is an arrangement with some additions. The first half consists just of Bach’s notes; in the repetition, a melodic line in the guitar part is added. In the second half, the added line continues in the guitar and vanishes in the repetition. This added movement triggers an improvised bridge at the end of the movement. In this bridge long notes are held in the strings and trombone on which the piano and guitar improvise a duo dialogue in which they are invited to transform material from the former into an announcement of material that is about to come.

Part V consists of twelve images. Fragments can be chosen freely by the performers. Material from Variation 29, the same material as is shown in Ex. 3.5, is the starting movement. Later, material from Variation 25 is used, on which the guitar and trombone improvise a duo.

Part VI begins with the Theme without accompaniment and performed with a very remote sense of meter. An environment of free sound is improvised around it. Throughout this part meter is regained gradually by taking back the original accompaniment. This part ends with the final bars of the theme completely restored.

3.3 Intention, goals and achievements

The intention of the project was to create a piece for this specific ensemble in which the performers would have the possibility to improvise in ways they had practiced already. The piece would build a frame for improvisation. The choice to use material from the Goldberg Variations was made in order to depersonalize the composed part. Bach’s work is owned neither by me nor by the performers, thus both the performers and the composer have the same freedom in relating to Bach’s music.

The goal was to have a performance in which the advantages of improvisation and composition were combined: improvisation would allow the performers to create their own unique version; composition would ensure structural coherence.

For the performers the achievement was the fact that thanks to the existence of this score they had the courage to go on stage without knowing in advance what they would play exactly. Afterwards, that they had the experience of having improvised in a concert and had gained confidence. Knowing that this was possible they were able to create their own open form scores as well.

For myself, the achievement was the chance to observe how the quality of the performance developed in the rehearsals and how the possibilities in the performance related to the notated score. 

3.4 The ensemble before and after the performances

Before the creation and performance of View from a high mountain the ensemble consisted of classical musicians with classical habits who performed improvisations after my instructions in a classroom. They would never have dared to go on stage with these instructions only, nor did they think of creating their own. After the performances of View - in fact already during the last concert of the tour- they got the taste of improvising and understood how to create a composed frame that would fit their own stylistic wishes. They created a handful of new pieces in which they took principles of structuring a from View without copying its style. These new pieces were performed in a public concert several months later. 

3.5 Conclusions and new goals after View from a high mountain

Although the piece was successful in public performances and evaluated as useful learning project by everyone involved, all – me included – sensed that it did not fulfill its goal in the most ideal way. This was mainly caused by the fact that the use of material by Bach and the way the undetermined was separated from the determined limited the space for improvisation in a way that was still bound to classical tradition. The goal that musicians would be able to contribute their own music was not achieved because they wished for a different stylistic result, which they had not been able to communicate before the project. In their own pieces after the project they were able to show what their style was.

For myself, the new goal was to examine again in which way a written score can provide a frame to improvisation, but this time in a way the instructions would not be based on classical givens and therefore be less limiting in style. Also there would be less composed material that made high demands to the performer's skills in a classical way. 

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Part 4

3.1 Introduction

View from a high mountain is an open form score in six parts for trombone, guitar, piano, violin and violoncello composed by the author of this research. The second stage of the research consisted of its creation for ensemble B-sight and its performance by this ensemble. This group evolved from improvisation courses and was improvising together for a year at the time the piece was created. The intention of the composition was to provide context to improvisation that would guarantee unity in the performance. The score applies open form and aims to provide just enough context to support coherence in the improvisations. The piece was performed in five public concerts in Holland and Germany.

3.2 Musical structure

Three types of musical material are used in the piece: material taken from the Goldberg Variations by J. S. Bach, composed material and improvised material. Every part has its own design for combining these three layers. In the following scheme an overview of the materials used in each part is given:

Part 2

Part 5

Part 3

Part 6