Performing Classical Music in the 21st Century

Alistair Sung

Name: Alistair Sung Main Subject: Classical Cello Research Coaches: Gerard Bouwhuis, Renee Jonker Title of Research: Performing Classical Music in the 21st Century Research Question: Can a reconsideration of presentation, programming and audience relationship influence the response to classical music? Summary of Results: The financial and cultural climate of the past 50 years has changed the way in which classical music is perceived. Where once it was valued as a crucial part of a healthy society, it has now grown isolated from mainstream culture and has been relegated to the periphery of modern cultural life. This paper will examine how these recent cultural and social developments occurred and focus on their effects on the performance of classical music in the 21st century. Through an analysis of new and existing approaches to performance, a framework will be established which will form the basis of a test concert. Data gained from this concert will then be analysed in order to explore the possibility of altering existing concert conventions to respond to the problems facing the performance of classical music. Research will be presented in the form of a research paper. Biography: Alistair began learning the cello in Sydney Australia with Marcus Hartstein and David Pereira. After attending Newtown High School of Performing Arts, Alistair completed his Bachelor Music (honours I)/Bachelor Arts (philosophy) at the University of New South Wales in 2010. On graduating, Alistair was awarded the university medal and his honours thesis, ‘Variety in Performance: A Comparative Analysis of Recorded Performances of Bach’s Sixth Suite for Solo Cello’ was co-published in the Empirical Musicology Review (Ohio State University). Alistair is currently completing a Masters degree at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague with Larissa Groeneveld.

Programming...

This concert will present several works. While the works are predominantly from the 20^th century, they have been selected primarily for the fact that they can be linked to themes or ideas that are clearly recognisable for audiences with limited experience of classical music. In the interests of maintaining attention, the length of the program will be restricted to 45 mins. As a consequence, certain works will not be performed in their entirety.

Arvo Pärt – Fratres

This is a work that has, in its relatively short history, attracted much popularity. Primarily due to its sparse texture and apparent simplicity, it has also come to be associated with themes of melancholy and spirituality. It has been included in the program because of its approachability.

Beyond offering an accessible aesthetic for audience members however, this work has also been included in the program because the ease with which it can be placed along side visual support material. The piece is comprised of 9 variations on the same melodic pattern. Within these variations, a single melodic idea, based on a D harmonic minor scale, unfolds over the course of three bars. This idea is then inverted and repeated. Thus, the piece is extremely symmetrical with a clearly identifiable structure. As a consequence, it is ideal for a series of accompanying images that can emphasise the changing characteristics of the music.

Nikolai Kapustin – Impromptu Op. 66: No. 2

Nikolai Kapustin is a Russian composer who is steeped in both classical and jazz training. Though he clearly identifies himself as a classical composer, many of his works, including the Impromptu, display strong influences of jazz and other, more mainstream forms of music. By including this piece in the program, it is intended that audiences will gain an insight into the breadth and variety of music that falls within the spectrum of the classical music repertoire.

Oene van Geel – Three Dances for cello: North Adams

This work was selected due to its heavy use of repetition and its strong rhythmic character. Rhythm and repetition form an integral part of many mainstream styles of music. It is intended that for many audience members, unfamiliar with the musical vocabulary of classical music, hearing a work in which rhythm is so important will provide a bridge to enjoying this, and other works from the classical repertoire.

Dmitri Shostakovich – Sonata for cello and piano Op. 40: Largo

Though possibly less accessible than the other works to be performed, this work is included in the program because of the clearly identifiable sense of darkness and anxiety that is indicative of Shostakovich’s compositional style that can be linked to the historical context from which it emerged.

Astor Piazzola – Libertango

Perhaps the most well-known piece on the program, this work has been included so as to offer a contrast to the tone and atmosphere of the other works to be performed.

The program and the way in which it is to be performed have been constructed so as to earn and maintain the attention of the audience.

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