Research Catalogue

an international database for artistic research

• 3. Internal publication Research published in this issue are only for internal circulation within the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague.
• 2. Royal Conservatoire Investigations Royal Conservatoire Investigations
• 1. Master Research Projects All research in KC

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  The Sound of the Big Band: Between evolution and continuity (2017) author(s): Claudio jr de Rosa published in: KC Research Portal
  Name: Claudio Jr De Rosa Main Subject: Jazz Saxophone Research Supervisor: Patrick Schenkius Title of Research: The Sound of the Big Band: Between evolution and continuity Research Question: How can I define the essential characteristics of the voicings in the writing of Gil Evans, Bob Brookmeyer, and Maria Schneider? How can I internalize them and make them part of my arranging vocabulary? Summary of Results: The main goal of this thesis is outlining the fundamental elements of the style of three jazz masters of Big Band arranging: Gil Evans, Bob Brookmeyer, and Maria Schneider, focusing on their voicings through a deep analysis of some of their works. The second part, however, is intended to be more practical and personal. Knowing the elements that characterize the style of these writers, I will show some components that stood out in the previous analysis included in some of the 13 arrangements I did during my Master. Biography: Saxophonist, composer, arranger, award winner, Claudio Jr De Rosa is a rising personality in the European Jazz scene. After a Master in Classical Saxophone, he is concluding the Master in Jazz under the guidance of J. Ruocco, H. Huizinga, and P. Schenkius. He recorded jazz CDs with his trio Zadeno Trio and with the CJDR Jazz 4et, and toured extensively in Europe and Asia. As an arranger, he wrote for the NSJO, KC Big Band, CvA Big Band, and CJDR Jazz Ensemble. He won the “Louis van Dick Arranging Jazz Award 2016” and his music was performed by the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw.
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• Investigating smaller bassoons from the XVIII and XIX centuries, with practical performance on a Baroque fagottino (2017) author(s): Hugo Rodriguez Arteaga published in: KC Research Portal
  Name: Hugo Rodríguez Arteaga Main Subject: Baroque Bassoon Research Supervisor: Johannes Boer Title of Research: Investigating smaller bassoons from the XVIII and XIX centuries, with practical performance on a Baroque fagottino Research Question: Is there a (lost) tradition using these instruments in the XVIII and XIX centuries? What are the musical and technical advantages and disadvantages of performing a piece with fagottino? Summary of Results: The idea of this study was to collect information about smaller-sized bassoons found in the XVIII and XIX centuries. Berlioz talks about the "quint bassoon", and other "fagottino" in his treatise about orchestration, and smaller bassoons called "tenor", "octave", and "quart" are described in James Kopp's book, The Bassoon. Today the modern "fagottino" is used to teach children, as the modern bassoon is too big and too heavy, but historical models have been strangely ignored in early music performance practice. Is there a (lost) tradition using these instruments in the XVIII and XIX centuries? What are the musical and technical advantages and disadvantages of performing a piece with fagottino? This research project is a mixed work: the written part has background information about instruments, titles and performers. A description of practical experimentation approaching one work with fagottino, as well as the observation of a young player’s first confrontation with the instrument is included. Biography: Hugo Rodríguez Arteaga began studying bassoon in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, in 1999 with Prof. Maximiano Vera. In 2007 he started studies at the Conservatorio Superior de Canarias with Ana Sánchez Clemente and finished with honors. He has played in ensembles as Orchestra of the 18th Century, Die Kölner Akademie, MusicAEterna, Capella Cracoviensis, Lutherse Bach Orchester, Les Vents Atlantiques, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Vox Luminis and more several groups. He has worked together with such conductors as Frans Brüggen, Teodor Currentzis, James Coonlon, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Alfredo Bernardini, Marcus Creed, Kenneth Montgomery, Alessandro de Marchi, Michael Alexander Willems and Pietro Rizzo. Currently he is studying historical bassoons at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague with Donna Agrell, as well as orchestral conducting with Kenneth Montgomery, Alex Schillings and Jac van Steen. He is active as a historical and modern bassoonist with different period and symphony orchestras all over Europe.
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• The Brass Players Stutter (2017) author(s): Nick Prince published in: KC Research Portal
  Name: Nicholas Prince Main Subject: Classical Bass Trombone Research Supervisor: Pete Saunders Title of Research: The brass player’s stutter Research Question: The brass players stutter, what is it, what are the causes and how can it be alleviated? Summary of Results: This paper deals with what is known as the brass player’s stutter, a very common but under researched issue. It occurs as the player inhales a breath to play but cannot exhale and produce the note on demand. The breath is just held in, thus giving a stutter effect. Many well-known professional brass musicians have suffered with these problems at some point in their careers. The author himself is one of the trombonists who has had to deal with this issue. Research was done through a series of interviews with different professional trombonists who have dealt with this problem to get their own opinions on this unusual issue and what they did to alleviate the problems. A questionnaire was also sent to trombone students in The Netherlands to find out if younger students are aware of such issues and if it can be avoided in the future. The results will provide a greater understanding of this problem and how I and others can find a solution to this obscure technical issue.  Biography: Nick Prince is a Bass Trombonist from the UK. After finishing his Bachelor degree with Roger Argente and Graham Lee at Trinity College of Music London, he moved to the Netherlands to do his master degree with Brandt Attema. His keen interest in orchestral music has led to playing with many orchestras including the RPO and Southbank Sinfonia. He also has a keen interest in brass chamber music, being a founding member of the Gianni Brass ensemble, which still performs numerous concerts per year and takes part in many education projects in the London area.
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  George Lloyd - Music for Brass, from symphony to test-piece (2017) author(s): Pieter Koster published in: KC Research Portal
  Name: Pieter Koster Main Subject: Wind band Conducting Research Supervisor: Paul Scheepers Title of Research: George Lloyd – Music for brass, from symphony to test-piece Research Questions: 1. Did George Lloyd change his way of composing from Symphony no. 10 via Royal Parks to Diversions on a Bass Theme? a. In what way does George Lloyd treat the following compositional elements in each piece? i. Structure ii.Harmony iii.Thematic material iv. Musical Tension b. In what way does the treatment of these elements differ in each piece? 2. Did George Lloyd succeed in combining his own views with the demands of the test-piece commissions, to write an appropriate test-piece? Summary of Results: Cornish symphonic and opera composer George Lloyd has written several compositions for brass, starting with a symphony for brass ensemble (Symphony no. 10) and then several test-pieces for brass band. The commission of test-pieces for brass band contests appears to be guided only by implicit criteria for these sort of compositions. Lloyd’s first test-piece, Royal Parks, apparently did not meet the criteria and his second test-piece, Diversions on a Bass Theme, did. This thesis investigates if George Lloyd changed his way of composing to write an appropriate test-piece, by a detailed analysis of Symphony no. 10, Royal Parks and Diversions on a Bass Theme. Besides that the thesis will try to answer the question if Lloyd was able to combine his own musical views with the demands of the test-piece commissions. The main findings are that Lloyd remained within his own musical language when writing the test-pieces, however he made some decisive choices regarding structure, form and thematic material that influenced the compositions significantly. He did partially succeed in combining his own views with the demands of the test-piece commissions. Biography: Pieter Koster (1985) completed his Bachelor’s Degrees at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague as a student of Ad van Zon on the trumpet, and Alex Schillings for conducting. In September 2016 he successfully completed his Master-exam concert with the Bundes Polizeiochester München. Pieter has participated in multiple conducting courses with renowned (professional) orchestras and teachers. Today he is professional conductor of the fanfare orchestras ‘Ons Genoegen’ Hattem, ‘Wilhelmina’ Volendam and the Koninklijke Brassband Utrecht. He is also a brass teacher for numerous students. Since 2014 he is secretary and member of the board of the Dutch Association of Wind band Conductors (Bond van Orkestdirigenten en Instructeurs).
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• Learning the altissimo register of the saxophone (2017) author(s): Emma Jones published in: KC Research Portal
  Name: Emma Jones Main Subject: Classical Saxophone Research Supervisor: Pete Saunders Research Title: Learning the altissimo register of the saxophone. Research Questions: What are the different approaches to teaching the saxophones altissimo register? Can a combination of these approaches lead to a confident and comfortable use of this register? Summary: This paper looks at how the altissimo register is taught by a number of performing saxophonists and teachers and how advice from lots of different voices can lead to the moment of understanding with the altissimo register. Several method books exist to help access the register but there are few resources for the initial stages of its performance. A collection of short studies based on selected standard repertoire have been composed as a resource for students who are approaching works that demand the use of the altissimo register. A recording of the study and the excerpt of the original material accompanies a small pedagogical text to help the reader towards success. Biography: Emma Jones is a British classical saxophonist. She graduated from the Birmingham Conservatoire with a 1st class honours in 2015 studying under Naomi Sullivan and is in her final year at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. She aspires to perform regularly as an orchestral saxophonist and makes up half of the Element Duo who released their debut album in 2015.
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  The characters of the flute. A performer’s exploration of the dramatic roles of the baroque flute (2017) author(s): Maria Florencia Gomez published in: KC Research Portal
  Before the flute's ascension to rival the violin and harpsichord in repertoire and expressive character, its first defined soloistic role emanated from music in the reign of Louis XIV. Iconography and collections of allegories, circulated in Europe since Cesare Ripa's Iconologia´s first edition in 1590, depicted the flute with two distinct figures. In the first, the flute symbolises the sweetening of the human voice in vital persuasion, while the second related to the art of pleasing. These artistic representations influenced the composer's choices for the flute, from keys and tempi to specific technical requirements. It must follow, then, that there is a strong link between the dramatic or allegoric content of the pieces in question and the technical and expressive identity of the late Sixteenth Century and early Eighteenth Century flute. This paper addresses this phenomenon through the French Cantate, with a primary focus on A. Camprá and N. Clérambault, in addition to further context of stylistic influence in subsequent compositions.
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