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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  Searching for the Siren | Exploring contemporary vocal aesthetics (2022) author(s): Kristia Michael published in: KC Research Portal
  “Searching for the Siren” explores contemporary vocal approaches that mirror the aesthetics and the contemporary perception of defining the elements of Beauty. Specifically, three main thematics are researched: 1) The Folk Voice, which explores how folk elements and timbres enter in classical and popular music, 2) The Extended Voice, which describes the use of extended vocal techniques with reference to technical and physical aspects of timbral contrasts, vocal fry, scream and inhalation phonation, 3) The Absent, Transformed and Replaced Voice which occurred with the technological development. Ends with conclusions around the definition of the mythical creature of the Siren and its relation to the human voice. Every aspect includes personal views, works, performances and syllogisms.
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  Cello Meets Soleares (2022) author(s): Candela Mier-Terán published in: KC Research Portal
  Flamenco is still a mystery and although there is a growing body of academic literature seeking to understand it, there is still a long way to go. In addition, flamenco is opening up to such variety and innovation that various instruments have been included in the traditional ensemble of guitar, cajón, clapping, cantaor/a and dancer. For these reasons, this research aims to bring cante por soleares closer to anyone interested in the world of flamenco, although perhaps with special attention to string musicians, and cellists in particular. This work, together with my analysis of the rhythm, melody, harmony and structure of the soleares, seeks to offer reflections, tools and conclusions for those looking to imitate soleares singers on the cello. This work is carried out through the transcription and analysis of six soleares, carefully selected for the purpose of being played on the cello [having done so much work with flamenco experts, it is a pity not to mention this as one of your key methods]. With these insights, I seek to better understand the characteristics of cante por soleares, to propose different forms of imitating it on the cello, and to offer options more suitable to the instrument when close imitation is not possible.
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  Adding to the Narrative: Intersectional Feminist Critical Curatorial Practices in Classical Vocal Music Performance (2022) author(s): Shanice Skinner published in: KC Research Portal
  Diversity and inclusion within Western art music have become topics of elevated importance in in recent discussions. To create enduring results regarding these matters, there needs to be a commitment to in-depth study of practices that will produce visible change. This is one of the goals of my research, in which I tackle issues of representation by focusing on Black women composers and their absence from the canon as overlooked and marginalized artists. It is well known that women have been denied many opportunities throughout history; as composers, many experiences crucial to professionalism were not always available to women, including music education in composition, the publication and circulation of their works, not being hired as conductors, or receiving reviews from influential critics. These opportunities and resources dwindled further if a woman was also a person of colour. Thus, in order to ensure their inclusion within the canon, these underrepresented identities demand and require unique recognition. I have examined the issue of neglected women of colour composers in classical music from an interdisciplinary standpoint, utilizing the methodologies of history and experimentation to form an “intersectional feminist critical curation” framework. This framework implements knowledge from intersectional feminist theory and music curation practices in order to answer following questions: “What is the impact on new audiences of diverse backgrounds experiencing classical music through an intersectional feminist curatorial framework?”, "Can classical music be an effective device for messages of social and political change?", and “What is the impact on myself as a classical vocalist and a Black woman to implement an intersectional feminist curatorial framework within my musical study and performance?”. The overall goal of this research was to discover an effective way forward to achieving diversity in classical music for underrepresented groups. Drawing from this study, I have created a digital performance project entitled “The Narrativity Sessions,” which functioned as an experiment utilizing this knowledge of intersectional feminist theory and praxis fused with select critical curation strategies applied to my own artistic practice as a classical singer. The outcome was a novel artistic practice that can contribute to creating innovative and artistically fulfilling performances while simultaneously advancing diversity and inclusion in the classical music sphere for audiences, performers, and composers alike.
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  La Basse de Violon (2022) author(s): Blanca Leticia Martín Muñoz published in: KC Research Portal
  About this exposition Nowadays we can find a vast amount of information about the history of the cello. But do we know anything of its larger ancestor? What was its purpose in the music scene in France in the 17th century? And why did it disappear? Little attention has been paid to the basse de violon, an instrument of great importance before the arrival of the cello. In my presentation, I will discuss these questions as well as other matters that concern the basse de violon, starting with what is it, going through its development, its role as a solo instrument, and as the bass of the ensembles, and finishing with the reasons for its decay and ultimately complete disappearance in France. Also, as part of my artistic presentation, I will base my conclusions by using videos of my experimentations on a surviving basse de violon from 1715 and a cello from the 19th century.
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  Musikalische Gemüths-Ergötzung Oder Arien By Jakob Kremberg (Dresden, 1689). Edition and Commentary. (2022) author(s): Magdalena Kasprzyk-Dobija Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  The research presents the Musicalische Gemüths-Ergötzung, oder Arien (RISM A/I, K 2009) by Jacob Kremberg, an old print published in 1689 in Dresden. The Kremberg’s book contains 40 arias for voice and continuo/figured bass, with tablature for lute, angelica, viola da gamba and baroque guitar. Due to the complexity of the issues contained in Kremberg's collection, particular emphasis is placed on the viola da gamba part. This part alone can be treated as an independent intabulations of songs that can be performed solo on the instrument. The first part consists of a description of the source, biographical information on the composer, a methodological reflection and an example of an editorial commentary. The subject of tablature notation and the tunings used by Kremberg in the viola da gamba part is also discussed here. In the second part, which is a preview of the planned editing work, examples of editions of several songs are included. Moreover, the research presents some information discovered by the author which had not been investigated before, like identification of the authorship of some of the poems used by the composer as lyrics. The presented research is a preliminary phase of a larger project, which the author intends to continue in the coming years and which aims to publish the first complete modern edition of Kremberg's collection of arias.
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• Rethinking the traditional concert format through the lens of Russian mystic composer Nikolai Obukhov (2022) author(s): Carlota Carvalho published in: KC Research Portal
  Born in 1892, composer Nikolai Obukhov belongs to the Russian avant-garde generation and was one of the pioneers in experimenting with twelve-tone systems, notation, and electronic instruments. He stands out from his contemporaries having inherited not only some aspects of Alexander Scriabin’s musical style, but, most prominently, the Russian symbolist belief in transcendence and collective spiritual uplifting through the performative act as well. The metaphysical substance and religious symbolism of Obukhov’s body of work reveals itself as a very rich and exciting source of inspiration for performers today. In this exposition I analyze the most relevant features of Nikolai Obukhov’s aesthetic, from his conception of the total work of art, to his harmonic language and annotations on the score, contextualizing them in the broader cultural and philosophical panorama of Russian Symbolism. I focus on understanding the social function of musical performance, and by conceptualizing certain basic principles, I shape my own performative approach to Nikolai Obukhov’s solo piano works. In the creative process of building a more holistic performance practice inspired by Russian Symbolism, the role of the modern performer expands from one of mere executor to the curator of an experience both for themself and for their audience. With this research I intend to encourage the musical community to reflect on our current relation with performance, to experiment with different concert formats, and to realize that we too, like the artistic community of Russians mystics, can project our own hopes about the future of civilization in our performance practices.
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