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

• YOUNGER AUDIENCES FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC (2023) author(s): Manuel Urios Hernández Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  In recent years, the audience for classical music has been aging. Fewer and fewer young people are attending to concerts. This is not a problem of classical music itself, but of the factors surrounding it, such as codes of behaivor or the usual concert rituals. The aim of this research is to look for different ways of innovating classical music concerts, so that classical music becomes a style of music that is better known and more present among young people.
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• Women in trombone (2023) author(s): Laura Guillén Alcaraz Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Women have been playing the trombone since the beginning of the instrument; however, their lives and achievements were less documented than those of their male colleagues, resulting in a lack of visibility throughout history. In this research, I explore the still-existing gender issues in a male-dominated space as are the brass sections. Through two interviews with professional female trombone players and a survey conducted amongst 121 trombone players, I have discovered how important gender-specific role models are to the field as are a source of inspiration and normalisation for future generations. I have also learned that the challenges that female trombone players have to face are far from being over, and a very high percentage of them feel that their gender has had a negative impact on their career. Additionally, I have also explored whether trombone players engage with repertoire by female composers. Although half of the respondents had played pieces by female composers, most of them had only played one, which indicates that there is still not a good gender-balance in the programming of repertoire. This part of the research has also led me to the discovery of many repertoire myself. Finally, I have explored some of the initiatives that are being done to deal with these issues in order to gather knowledge and inspiration for a continued work towards gender balance in the field of trombone.
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• Understanding the Unwritten Implications: Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen's Concerto No. 3 as a Case Study for Creating a Historically Informed Performance of Late 18th-Century Music (2023) author(s): Elana Cooper Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  How can I use treatises of composers from a similar period and geographic region as Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen, as well as my knowledge of baroque and classical violin performance practice, to create a historically informed performance of the first movement of Lombardini Sirmen’s Violin Concerto No. 3? How might this case study inform my approach to other lesser-known works of late 18th-century music? This research applies elements of Tartini’s treatise Traité des agréments de la musique as well as Geminiani’s Art of Playing on the Violin and other scholarly sources to the first movement of Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen’s Violin Concerto No. 3. In an effort to play Lombardini Sirmen’s music in a historically informed manner, I experimented with applying the baroque musical styles she was trained in, rather than the developments towards the classical style that occurred during her career. This is based on the critique that her style of violin playing was out-dated and the assumption that her compositions somewhat match her playing style. This research also addresses the importance of understanding Lombardini Sirmen’s personal musical style within historical context in order to approach inconsistencies in the notation of slurs, pitch/accidentals, and rhythm. The more of her music that one plays, the easier it is to make educated guesses as to how to make adjustments in order to unify the inconsistent notation. This research has brought me to the conclusion that an important element of creating a successful historically informed performance is a balance between paying attention to details and leaving room for creativity and spontaneity. In addition, my research and study of Lombardini Sirmen’s Violin Concerto No. 3 has enhanced my understanding of late 18th-century violin playing and repertoire and illuminates the role that lesser known female violinists and composers such as Lombardini Sirmen may have played in the development of violin repertoire.
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• Through the lens of the Self-Determination Theory (2023) author(s): Rosalyn Stürzer Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Motivation for our musical practice is fluctuating for all of us. According to the Self-Determination Theory by Deci and Ryan everybody has three basic needs that have to be fulfilled in order to be autonomously motivated: feeling competent, autonomous and related. In this research I carried out reflective journaling and designed strategies to enhance the satisfaction of these three factors in my musician's practice. Through the gathered information and the tried out methods the satisfaction of the three basic needs increased, and I could start to change my perfectionistic thought structure into an explorative and playful one, which increases my joy in practicing.
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• The writing for the clarinet in Harmony music in Vienna from 1770 to 1830: Mozart and Krommer (2023) author(s): Carolina Guiducci Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Harmoniemusik was a wind ensemble formed by pairs of instruments, most commonly six or eight (oboe, clarinet, bassoons, and horns). They were common in the main cities of Europe from around 1770 to 1830. Their music was like the radio of their time. They played for important events of the Court, for military parades, and in public gardens to entertain whoever was taking a walk. The repertoire varied depending on the occasion, although they were most famous for their arrangements of popular operas and ballets. There were approximately 12000 works written for this type of ensemble, of which only a few are known and performed nowadays. At the same time, the clarinet evolved and developed during these fifty years by adding more keys to allow the instrument to play more incidentals with ease, and by trying out different materials to expand the timbre and volume. The main focus of my research exposition is to analyze and compare two works by W. A. Mozart and two works by F. Krommer, in order to understand how the writing for the clarinet changed and what was the role and function of this instrument inside the harmony ensemble. I synthesize from the analysis useful information, considering multiple aspects, that can be interesting to apply when performing this music.
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• The poetic quest in Brahms' ballade op. 10 no. 1 (2023) author(s): Sam Sandfort Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  The most important thing a performer can do when struggling with a piece, is to change the aspect. In this case, linking the music of Brahms’ ballade op 10 no 1 to a clear narrative in the Edward ballade provides us the framework in which to do so.
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