Research Catalogue

an international database for artistic research

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  Hindemith’s Musical Enigmas Through the Eyes of Bach (2023) author(s): Kaat Schraepen published in: KC Research Portal
  Taking the audience on a journey is always an important goal of mine while performing. My research was created not only to add to my knowledge but more importantly to my performance and my connection to the audience. Throughout my research I uncover the enigma of Bach as an inspiration for Hindemith. What connects these two composers living 200 years apart? How do we connect the ‘new and modern’ to the ‘old and familiar’? Is Hindemith in fact 'Bach with a modern twist'? By discovering the similarities and differences between Bach’s 6th Cello Suite and Hindemith’s Solo Sonata Op.25 No.1, through background research and putting their structure and harmony in relation to each other, a new world of interpreting both composers opened up to me. The research makes my performance more involved but also allows me to take the listener by the hand, guiding them through this more ‘modern’ music by Hindemith and his contemporaries such as Max Reger, by accompanying his music with Bach, and accompanying the music with short metaphorical stories highlighting the composers' similarities as well as different approaches. Engaging the audience, allowing them to open their ears and view the music in a new light.
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  Saverio Mercadante and the Neapolitan flute school of the early 19th century. A dramma buffo on the historically informed approach (2023) author(s): Enrico Coden published in: KC Research Portal
  Mercadante’s flute works are among the most beloved 19th-century Italian compositions for this instrument. So far, no study has been undertaken to develop a specific historically informed performance practice for them. In order to do so, I first analysed the Italian flute history in the first half of the 19th century, which revealed a great influence of foreign instruments and methods on local flute makers and players; secondly, I studied the Neapolitan flute school during Mercadante’s lifetime (1795-1870) and discovered which instruments were in use, which methods were kept at the Conservatory Library, and who were the most successful contemporary players. Finally, I focused on Mercadante’s biography and created a detailed catalogue of his flute works, which includes bibliographical indications of manuscripts and editions, musicological details and historical notes (when available). This process revealed that the greatest part of such pieces was composed between 1813 and 1820, that is, while he was studying at the Neapolitan Conservatory. Once my theoretical investigations were completed, I approached the practical part of my research by following the performance practice instructions of Hugot-Wunderlich’s flute method, whose French original edition is kept in the Conservatory library since Mercadante’s study years. However, an important detail that I discovered at this research stage forced me at once to discard my entire methodological process. This true operatic plot twist - dramatic and yet funny - turned my thesis into a dramma buffo. It forced me to completely rethink my methodology and even what the concept of “historically informed” means to me.
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  Man's struggle for salvation: A programmatic interpretation of Franz Liszt's B minor Sonata (2023) author(s): Leone Monaco published in: KC Research Portal
  Research question: “What can be learned about the programmatic relationship between Franz Liszt’s B Minor Piano Sonata and its programs?” My research started as an investigation of the traditional programmatic relationship between Franz Liszt B minor Piano Sonata and Goethe’s Faust, but it had an unexpected outcome: Liszt B minor Sonata can be programmatically connected to multiple programs at the same time. Through the study of symbols behind themes and harmonies used by the composer, connections with other compositions, and the composer’s notes and letters, my research explains why and how the Sonata is programmatically inspired by Goethe’s Faust, Milton’s Paradise Lost and the Bible not only in its structure, but also from a philosophical and spiritual point of view. I propose to look at the Sonata in a different way, considering a more general and Christian “leading thought” which connects all its possible programs and permeates the whole work: Liszt’s Sonata tells the story of every man and his lifetime struggle against temptations and damnation to reach salvation. At the end, I give practical suggestions on the interpretation of specific passages of the Sonata based on the considered symbolic connections with its programs and composer’s notes. The chosen format of presentation is the exposition, because it gives me the possibility not only to include explanatory pictures and score excerpts, but also to use my own recordings to explain better the symbolism of themes or harmonies in certain passages and to show the practical and interpretive outcomes of my research.
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• Karol Szymanowski and Polish Folklore. Using Podhale folk music to inform performances of Szymanowski's Harnasie (2022) author(s): Ania Szafraniec published in: KC Research Portal
  Karol Szymanowski and Polish Folklore. Compositional copy or inspiration? What musical choices might be made for performing Harnasie and other violin pieces by using knowledge of Podhale folk music to inform violin performance practice. In this exposition I present my research which consists of a few elements. Firstly, to get acquainted with the composer - Karol Szymanowski and focus on his Nationalistic period. While exploring Podhale folklore and understanding its main characteristics, I did analyze the way Szymanowski uses this particular folklore in his pieces. Then, the focus goes to Szymanowski’s most important work of the period - ballet Harnasie and its comperisement with the violin transcription. To discover whether the folk citations used in his pieces are just a copy of original melodies or inspiration and how do they connect with each other? A significant and most important part of my research is finding out how the knowledge gained through this process can improve and enrich the performance of Szymanowski’s violin music. In short my conclusions are as follows. Folkloristic parts should be treated as original Highlanders would play it. Therefore, violinists need to get some sound simplicity such as no vibrato or playing in the first position. On the other hand, the lyrical parts are very contrasting. Szymanowski was inspired by singers and the way his dear violinist friend Paweł Kochański played. Therefore, the lyrical parts can be compared to the human voice, with a sweet romantic sound, natural voice like breathing in the phrases, continuous fast vibrato.
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  Research and Critical Edition of Capriccio Diabolico by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (2022) author(s): Eva Calvo López published in: KC Research Portal
  In short, the proposed work consists in a critical edition of Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Capricho diabolico, backed up by previous research in which I compare the manuscript and Andrés Segovia's interpretative edition. As a result of the significant differences between the two, I propose a version that is faithful to the original work, but without overlooking the collaboration between the two musicians.
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• "Avec Picasso, ce matin..." (2022) author(s): Inês Lopes, Heloisa Amaral published in: KC Research Portal
  The current music scene is manifold in its means of expression. As music becomes more diverse and embraces other art forms it makes room for a new type of performers to flourish. My academic path, comprising jazz theory lessons and an uncomplete bachelor’s in composition beyond my classical piano studies, gave me the opportunity to develop a set of artistic skills that go beyond the standard performer curriculum. I saw in this artistic research the perfect chance to apply this knowledge. In my work I explore three distinct approaches to a specific piece of music: Constança Capdeville’s Avec Picasso, ce matin… (1984), starting from a more traditional analysis and progressively diverging from this path towards a subversive approach inspired by the concept of anamorphosis. Capdeville’s score is essentially an open work with a set of guiding instructions. However, the lack of documentation, clear instructions and reliable sources concerning the piece made the notated score more ambiguous than expected. This possible setback in its reconstruction turned out to be the perfect context to put my expertise to the test. While dabbling with Capedeville’s score I resorted to experimental processes, to my experience with composition, my transcription and editing skills, archive work and the use of different media in contemporary performance practice. I approached the score as a “script” rather than a “text” (Cook, Nicholas). In this research the score is no longer an end in itself, but rather an excuse towards the development of a musical project larger than it.
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  The Transfigured Guitar of Alberto Ginastera Sonata for Guitar, op. 47 (2022) author(s): Silvia Escamilla Jiménez published in: KC Research Portal
  This research takes as a starting point the Alberto Ginastera's Sonata for Guitar, op. 47 (1976) The Sonata represents, within Ginastera's musical trajectory, an example of synthesis of his work, due to the variety of compositional and motivic material that he manages to link. Its interest relies in the way in which avant-garde compositional techniques, such as serialism or twelve-tone technique, are mixed with folklore rhythms and popular elements typical of Argentine traditional music.  It offers the opportunity to verify in his compositional practice the theoretical approaches on music that the composer had presented in his previous works. Discovering the origin of the thematic and rhythm sources of the Sonata for Guitar by Ginastera is an invitation to inquire in the valuable atmosphere of Argentine folklore.  Since its premiere, the Sonata has attracted increasing interest for its innovative contributions to contemporary music. The result is a tribute to the guitar, the Argentine folk music and the avant-garde music. As far as the guitar as an instrument is concerned, in it the composer explores a great variety of innovative resources that verify its suitability to transmit the contents of contemporary music, while at the same time pays off the debt it had with Argentine folklore, present in its rhetoric and symbolically evoked, but now transfigured into a reality.  Finally, this research presents some connections between this guitar piece and the String Quartet No. 1, op. 20, that Ginastera composed more than twenty years before. 
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  Giuseppe Torelli and the birth of the Violin Concerto (2021) author(s): Pietro Battistoni published in: KC Research Portal
  Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709), a violinist and composer famous all over Europe during his lifetime, has not received much attention in today's concert programs and academic environments. This research has a twofold intention: reconstruct the life of Torelli and investigate the origins of a genre of which he is considered to be the father, the soloistic concerto. As a case of study, an in-depth analysis is been drawn of one violin concerto, which has a debated authorship nowadays, poised between Torelli and Vivaldi. The results are presented in three chapters: the first one contains the biography; in the second one it is outlined how Torelli redefined the form of the pre-existing Concerto Grosso, thanks to the activity of his predecessors and to the peculiar context in which he was active. This process resulted in the arise of the concerto for solo instrument, which already presented all the characteristics that made this musical form so popular and successful amongst his contemporaries and the following generations. The third chapter consists of an analysis of the Concerto for violin in D minor A.2.3.9/RV813. Through the examination of the primary sources, its transcription for solo keyboard made by Johann Sebastian Bach and the stylistic patterns used, I intend to demonstrate that the attribution to Torelli is more plausible. The inquiry about this repertoire through a musicological and historical contextualization can bring to a more grounded awareness in how to approach this music as a performer and, hopefully, it will lead to a rediscovery of musical treasures.
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  A Study on Ornamentation and Expression in French vocal Music (1650-1750) (2021) author(s): Kitty Lai published in: KC Research Portal
  This study aims to understand and learn about the historical performance practice in the 17th century. As an early music singer, I am attracted to the sweet and charming 17th-century French vocal music. In particular, I am interested in the relationship between French ornamentation and expression. This research investigates the background of 17th-century performance practice in France in relation to the ornamentation, the pronunciation of 17th-century French, the different types of ornaments and the expression implied by the ornaments. The performance practice in the 17th century was different from now since it was undergoing a major change from polyphonic to solo music, which emphasised more the text than the music. The knowledge of ornamentation was an expected requirement for all well-trained singers in the 17th century, ornamentation was not merely a decoration, but a tool in emphasizing the importance of the text. Thus, it is necessary to learn ornamentation for a complete 17th-century French vocal performance. Since text was the main element in 17th-century French vocal music, it is important to know the characteristics of French language in this period. The ability to distinguish French long and short syllables was important because ornamentation could only be applied mostly to long syllables. The pronunciation of certain French vowels has undergone a significant alteration, and the ‘old’ way of pronouncing them is included in the study. The research findings also show that some ornaments were meant to be used only in certain expression and they help me to better ‘compose’ French ornamentation in future performances.
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  Intabulation as process and practice (Master thesis) (2021) author(s): Asako Ueda published in: KC Research Portal
  Research Title: Intabulation as process and practice Research questions: When it comes to the manifold surviving solo lute intabulations from around 1500, where is the line between "unwritten" and "written" intabulation? Intabulating involves the writing out of several parts into tablature, but does this twofold distinction really apply to all pieces? What was the process of appropriation of vocal polyphony for a lutenist of the early 16th century? How can we apply this to our own processes? Abstract: Intabulation refers to the arrangement of vocal pieces for what Johannes Tinctoris refers to as a “perfect instrument”, amongst which he counts such instruments as keyboards and the lute – and it implies writing out the parts of a polyphonic composition into tablature. However, after playing many surviving intabulations for several years, I had a strong feeling that there must be an “unwritten” solo lute intabulation practice behind the “written” intabulations from the beginning of the 16th century, in contrast to the more “composed” intabulations from the time after the mid-16th century. While surviving sources provide us with much information on what lutenists played, they also hide the “unwritten” practice which they did not record. We can only imagine what was happening. In this thesis, I investigate the process of intabulation by lute players from this time by analysing and comparing different versions of the same song from different sources. Through this research, I trace the transition of the changing style of intabulation, which is in turn related to the transition of lute technique from plectrum to finger-plucked and the change in style of the vocal models. Moreover, the diffusion of printed music changed the manner of the transmission of music. To conclude, I hypothesise that lute players might have listened to and copied each other’s intabulations unconsciously, and when they wanted to preserve their work, they might have made some adjustments to their intabulations. The study also suggests how to apply these ideas to actual intabulation practice, which will be presented in the Research Symposium online as a video format. Biography: The Japanese lutenist Asako Ueda studied the lute at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with Mike Fentross and Joachim Held and completed her Bachelor's with the highest achievable mark, which gives her the opportunity to continue to the Master’s program with the Excellence Scholarship of the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. She won first prize at the Biagio Marini Competition and third prize at the International Van Wassenaer Competition. She started playing the violin at the age of five. After finishing her Bachelor’s degree with the violin in Tokyo, she continued to study the Baroque violin and composition. https://asakoueda.com
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  Batterie & Baroque Guitars (2021) author(s): Matthew Xie published in: KC Research Portal
  The objective of my proposal is to educate aspiring professionals and students of baroque guitar on the history and development of the instrument and the strumming style in France
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  JAZZ DRUMS: 5 unconventional comping examples (2021) author(s): Dimitris Koutantos published in: KC Research Portal
  After a long investigation of the jazz discography from 1920s until today, Dimitris Koutantos chose 5 recordings which contain drum-comping styles with these two characteristics: 1)not-cymbal-oriented 2)non-repetitive. For his research exposition, he uses a variety of media (such as videos, musical notation & text) to show you his path: -searchng and choosing recordings -transcribing them -analyzing them -creating different exercises (to solve problems) -turning what he learned into action -looking for his own comping style (inspired by those drummers) -sharing his thoughts and conclusions. With this research, Dimitris hopes to help other drum-students: -explore these 'unconventional' styles of comping -improve their time & co-ordination -search for their own style.
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• Walton viola Concerto beyond the score (2021) author(s): Alberto García Pérez published in: KC Research Portal
  The Walton Viola Concerto is one of the most famous and recognized compositions in the viola repertoire. Apart from this, it is a compulsory piece in any viola orchestra audition. This research is focused on my practice and artistic process of the Walton Concerto, consequently subjective, to create an artistic choice. In order to achieve an ideal interpretation of this composition, I will investigate and analyze the first two recordings made of the Concerto, as both represent different versions of the piece with several differences between them. These recordings were made by Frederick Riddle in 1937, and by the famous violist William Primrose in 1946. This research aims to: (1) decide what details or alternatives I can recover from these recordings to inspire my own interpretation, and (2) find out what ideas from the first recording are reflected in the second one. Taking into consideration these recordings, I first drew up a list mentioning the differences found between them. Then, I classified these differences into different categories such as bowings, different notes, fingerings, orchestration, and so on. Finally, I recorded myself playing both versions of some passages. The main outcome I found is to discover that the sound-based approach (listening to recordings and experimenting with them) is a richer source of inspiration for a musician than a purely score-based comparison. I hope these artistic ideas can be a great stimulus and encouragement to other violists who want to play this wonderful Concerto.
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  Johannes Brahms: Historically-Informed Recording of the Piano Quartets (2020) author(s): Anthony JOHN THWAITES published in: Research Catalogue, Birmingham City University
  This Exposition presents a Double CD of Johannes Brahms’s Piano Quartets, recorded on period instruments in Vienna by The Primrose Piano Quartet for the Meridian label (CDE84650/1-2, 2019). The recording is presented in fully streamable MP3 format alongside a PDF of the CD booklet proof. Accompanying the recording is an essay which documents the research questions, methodology and processes underpinning the work. Preparation, rehearsal, recording and editing are discussed as a process of interpretative investigation. Historically-Informed Performance Practice with respect to Brahms is a thriving academic discipline within which we have endeavoured to offer the most radically innovative post-war commercial recording of the piano quartets.
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• An Approach to Romantic cello playing in Brahms's time (2020) author(s): María Cadenas Rodríguez published in: KC Research Portal
  The revolution of sound recording at the beginning of the 20th century influenced classical performance practice, setting definitive interpretations and eradicating more personal approaches to music-making. Many fundamental expressive devices were lost over the years and thus Romantic musical performance was no longer understood in the same way. This is why my research tries to look backwards in time with the aim of exploring the main attributes of Brahms’s Romantic style in music for string instruments. My research aims to: (1) understand lost Romantic expressive devices and how they worked, and (2) explore ways of using them today. I first analysed primary and secondary literature to establish context. Then I examined historical edited cello scores by Brahms, using them to show the different fingerings and slurrings provided by the main cellists of the period, which give us a clear idea about the use of portamenti, for example. Finally I listened to cello and string quartet early recordings to hear sonic evidence of these techniques, before applying them in Brahms's chamber music for cello. The main outcome I found is that diverse and emotional approaches to music-making made the Romantic period unique. I hope these tools can encourage today’s cellists and string players in general to create new, more personal, freer and more creative approaches to playing Romantic repertoires.
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• SOUND IDENTITY (2020) author(s): Sara Maganzini published in: KC Research Portal
  The purpose of my Research is to explore why at the beginning of the XX° century wind orchestras in different Countries in Europe sounded so singular and why nowadays the sound is so similar one to the other. Haven’t found any book which speaks about this specific topic I decided to research about the subject hoping it will maybe be useful or interesting not only for my development as conductor/musician but also to other people, be they conductors, composers, musicians or just wind orchestra music lovers. Above historical issues I will also include some artistic material such as examples, audio samples and scores which support the development of my Research. Special focus will be given to the analysis of a couple of significant original scores from the first decade of the XX° century which will be the guide line throughout my research.
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• Rethinking ornamentation : a rhetorical approach to da capo arias of Georg Friedrich Händel (2020) author(s): Francisca Prestes Branco Gouveia published in: KC Research Portal
  Ornamenting baroque da capo arias is crucial for the historically informed singer. However, the choice of ornaments should do more than fit the affects portrayed in a given piece: it should emphasize their expression and move the affections of the audience. In Mattheson’s Der vollkommene Capellmeister it is suggested that rhetorical figures can be of good use as ornaments. Out of the abundant number of figures listed by theorists associated with the movement of the German Musica Poetica, only a few have simultaneously an affective meaning and can be applied to a pre-existing melody. This research explores some of the existing ornamented melodies by G. F. Händel and singers from the time of the composer to understand how these ornaments can be linked with figures from rhetoric, and how they assist in the expression of the text. This research associates rhetorical figures and manieren with general affects and demonstrates its practical use in selected operatic repertoire by G. F. Händel. This study aims to enhance the author’s aesthetic choices while performing, and furthermore encourage other singers to use ornamentation effectively in similar repertoire.
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• The bassoon in Barcelona in the second half of the XVIIIth century (2020) author(s): Bernat Gili Díaz published in: KC Research Portal
  The recent discovery of original bassoons made in Barcelona in the 18th century and the researches made on the musical life of the city during this period give us the opportunity to understand how the instrument was conceived and which role it had in its musical context. When were this bassoons made? By whom? For what purpose? Which repertoire could have been played with them? Do they share any common characteristics? How are these linked to their function in the music of that time? All these and other questions are answered in this research by putting together an organological analysis of the instruments, the repertory that has been preserved and different written sources concerning the historical and musical context and the instrument making. This research will be presented in form of research exposition.
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• BEL CANTO AND HÄNDEL: The evolution of bel canto throughout the history and its implementation into the interpretation of Italian operatic music for tenor composed by Georg Friedrich Händel (2020) author(s): Carlos Negrín López published in: KC Research Portal
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  16th-Century Keyboard Tablature as Performance Notation (2020) author(s): Christina Kwon published in: KC Research Portal
  As a harpsichordist and HIP performer, I was so fascinated with 16th-century keyboard tablature notation on my first encounter some years ago. Since then, I have been inspired to explore playing from original notation as part of my HIP training. This research is a big part of this artistic endeavor, addressing 16th-century keyboard tablature notation from Spanish and German sources and finding answers for what it is, why it was invented, why it is not in practice today, and how one may bring it back to practice. At the beginning stages of this exploration, I noticed that keyboard tablature was not really in practice as performance notation in the current HIP dialogue. I wanted to investigate why and, through this thesis, present it as a relevant, stimulating topic. This research presents historical and theoretical analysis of this notation and the results of an extensive systematic experiment-survey I devised and conducted with 32 non-musicians and musicians of all levels. Personally, the contents of this thesis have greatly deepened my understanding of historical performance of keyboard music in the 16th century and enriched my experience as an Early Music performer.
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• Britten Folksongs and Their Traditional Counterparts (2020) author(s): Phoebe Kirrage published in: KC Research Portal
  Phoebe Kirrage Classical Singing Research Supervisor: Anna Scott Britten's Folksong Arrangements and Their Traditional Counterparts Question: How do the Britten Folksong arrangements relate to their traditional counterparts, with an emphasis on text? This research explores the relationship between traditional British folk songs and their Benjamin Britten counterparts. The function of this research is to create a new relationship between the original songs and their values and the impressions brought about by Britten through his edits. Primarily through harmonic arrangements, changes in melody and textual edits made by Britten. Both folk and classical music have been crucial components in my life and have shaped me as a performer. There have been a great number of folk songs and tunes arranged for classical music yet there is very little dialogue between the two styles. I have used a combination of my own fieldwork, interviews, rehearsals, recordings and historical research to create an in depth research into the differences made to the traditional songs by Britten in his arrangements. The final results have come to fruition in the creation of an in depth analysis of the differences between the arrangements and the songs, and a full recording of the sixth book of folk songs with guitar. The outcome is a combination of the two musical styles to create a new sound. A concert will follow in which the new arrangements will be performed in a space and atmosphere inspired by both classical and folk performance spaces. A noticeable difference in my classical performing has also come about through the research into storytelling and freeness in folk performance in combination with classical performance. Phoebe Kirrage is a British soprano, having previously studied Musicology at Royal Holloway University of London, she is now pursuing her masters degree in classical singing under the teaching of Noa Frenkel. Having sung from a very early age, Phoebe has had the privilege of performing in some of the UKs most prestigious performance venues, including The Royal Albert Hall and The Barbican. In the Netherlands Phoebe has had the opportunity to perform in spaces such has the Grote Zaal in TivoliVredenburg. Upcoming performances include Britten's Turn of the Screw and Psalm 42 by Mendelssohn.
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