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

• Interpretation of Schumann's 'Humoreske' in B flat major, op. 20, within the context of Jean Paul Richter's romantic concept of 'humor' (2023) author(s): Elisha Kravits published in: KC Research Portal
  This research began with the realization that Schumann's idea of "humor" (which the title of his work implies) might be very different from our own, and should be understood within the cultural and philosophical context of his time. To this end, I decided to base my research on the writings of celebrated author Jean Paul Richter, whom Schumann idolized, and who devoted a large section of his "Introduction to Aesthetics" to the subject of humor; the profound psychological connections between Schumann and Jean Paul, which I point out, are also very revealing. I went on to summarize some concepts within Jean Paul's definition of humor which seemed the most naturally analogous with the act of musical interpretation, such as romantic irony, "the Absurd" and "humorous sensuousness". In the final part of the research I put these ideas to use by experimenting with the interpretation of different sections of the "Humoreske"; in the written exposition I provided recordings to demonstrate the different possibilities which arise from this analogy, as well as a written explanation of the thought process behind each one. For the presentation I will demonstrate this at the piano. These recordings are the "final" result of my research in the sense that they represent a clear answer to the research question. However, while the process of conscious experimentation was illuminating- and can be repeated with any other work by the composer!- I believe that the most important result of this research would be impossible to document or present here: that is, the more subtle, subconscious way in which understanding Schumann's connection with the spirit of his time will continue to influence my playing.
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• Using relative solmisation when singing post-tonal repertoire (2023) author(s): Carolijn Moulen Janssen Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Name: Carolijn Moulen Janssen Main subject: Master Theory of Music Research supervisor: Patrick van Deurzen Title of research: The use of relative solmisation in post-tonal repertoire of Using relative solmisation when singing post-tonal repertoire Research question: In what way can relative solmisation be used when singing post-tonal repertoire? Abstract The aim of this research is to try to find a way in which relative solmisation can be used when singing post-tonal repertoire. In my research I first give an overview of the different tools used to sing post-tonal music. I then discuss the two main figures in the field of post-tonal aural skills and their main textbooks: Lars Edlund and his books Modus Novus and Choral Studies and Michael Friedmann and his Ear Training for Twentieth-Century Music. I also asked aural skills teachers of universities and conservatories what tools they use when singing post-tonal music and whether they use Edlund’s and Friedmann’s textbooks. I then started linking post-tonal solfège to relative solmisation by formulating guidelines for the application of relative solmisation. I will show some recordings of Sing & Play examples of my students. Biography Carolijn Moulen Janssen (1986) studied choral conducting at the HKU Utrechts Conservatoire (with Rob Vermeulen) and Music Education according to the Kodály Concept at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague. Carolijn conducts an amateur choir and teaches solfege at the Academie Muzikaal Talent, Utrecht and music theory at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague.
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• To know or not to know (2023) author(s): Natasja Douma Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Research question How will biographical, historical and analytical knowledge affect my interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s cello sonata and can this relationship be made audible? In what way does background information, such as analysis help me to shape my view on a piece and will a more thorough research really make a difference in my performance practise? Summary of Results To investigate this, I have chosen a piece that is definitely one of my favourite pieces of music, the cello sonata by Sergei Rachmaninoff. I decided to gain information from different angles to determine what did or did not have an effect on my interpretation of the sonata. I looked at the biographical context, what was his life like around the time that he wrote this sonata? I have been reading about the Russian School, to learn more about the traditions of Russian piano playing. One other aspect was listening to Rachmaninoff playing his own compositions. I listened to recordings of the sonata by different people and I have been talking to colleagues about Rachmaninoff and more specific the sonata. I also made an analysis and studied the manuscript. The analysis in particular provided a sometimes different, but above all much more conscious interpretation. Gaining knowledge from so many different angles definitely provided an extra layer and the entire journey showed without a doubt that knowledge changed my interpretation. In my research catalogue you can read about my findings and experiences. Biography Natasja Douma received her first piano lessons from her grandmother, the concert pianist Roeli Schijf-Verhoog. She continued her studies at the School for Young Talent at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague with Jan Boumans and Marcel Baudet. In 1989 she started her higher music education studies with the well-known Dutch pianist Jan Wijn at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she obtained the Teaching Musician and Performing Musician diplomas. Afterwards, Natasja pursued further studies in the field of song accompaniment with Rudolf Jansen, which she completed with distinction in September 2000. In June 2022, Natasja hopes to obtain her Master’s Degree, including an extensive artistic research project focused on the Cello Sonata by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Natasja won the SJMN (Stichting Jong Muziektalent Nederland) competition twice. She also won second prize at the Competition for the European Music Prize in Antwerp. In 2013, together with violinist Isobel Warmelink, she won the NTR prize for the best performance of the compulsory work (Music minus one or two by Guus Janssen) during the Davina van Wely national violin competition. Natasja is a much sought-after duo partner, chamber musician and accompanist, who performs frequently in the Netherlands and internationally in France, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg. Since 1998, she works as a coach pianist at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, where she has coached and supported many young artists on their way to become professional musicians.
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• Hammond organ for the advanced jazz pianist (2023) author(s): Bob Wijnen Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Research in progress
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• “How to motivate students in classroom mandatory music lessons?” (2023) author(s): Bárbara de Souza Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  My experience teaching mandatory violin lessons during school time could have been more positive. Misbehavior, no engagement, no routine of practicing, and a deficient level of playing were some of the factors causing frustration in my teaching practice. Luckily, this frustration became an urge to change this situation and search for approaches to motivate the students in the context of mandatory music lessons. Action research and case study approaches were used for an intervention of three weeks in three different classrooms, with kids from 8-9 years old, from grade 5 at the Dutch Primary School system. Lesson plans were designed based on the principles of the Self-Determination Theory by Deci and Ryan (1985), with activities and strategies addressing the three innate psychological needs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Logbooks were also used as a way of stimulating the self-regulation of the students. The intervention showed that encouraging the students' autonomy was the best way to motivate them, and that can be done through simple activities that can be easily implemented in the lessons. Increasing their autonomy in several activities also added to their feeling of competence and relatedness. Using the logbook to track their practice was also a powerful tool to help them practice and boost their motivation.
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• Spontaneous jazz improvisation for beginner-intermediate students (2023) author(s): Pascal van den Dool Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  The topic of this research arose from what I personally tend to miss in typical common jazz teaching (to beginners) but what I admire so much in great jazz musicians: the spontaneity and conviction of what they play. In this research I design and test out various workforms on two of my students to improve two qualities in improvisation: spontaneity (in short: the ability to adjust to circumstances and be open to new ideas) and genuineness (in short: inner hearing what you will play and the conviction of playing). The students are teenagers that have piano lessons for some time and are getting started with learning to improvise. Grounded in various literature, interviews with jazz educators and a self study, several workforms will be designed. One relatively new idea is global singing: to sing an approximate contour of an improvised melody. This along with other workforms will be treated in lessons which are filmed and analysed including transcriptions of the solos of students. These two qualities are sometimes overlooked and generally seen as ambitious or difficult to work on with students that are not advanced. However, we will see that there will be clear improvements in these areas during the experiment.
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