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

• The Arabic Maqam on Double Bass (2021) author(s): Remy Dielemans published in: KC Research Portal
  After participating in a project, Remy awakened his interest in Arabic traditional music. Being trained as a jazz, pop and classical bassist, he found that this music left him clueless, but mesmerized. That was when he decided to learn more about this musical genre, and dedicated his Master’s degree to the subject. In his research, Remy aimed to find ways to incorporate elements from traditional Arabic music into his own musical practice as a Jazz double bass player. To reach this goal, Remy researched both rhythmic and melodic aspects of the Arabic music tradition. The first step was to understand the theory and the melodic and rhythmic information involved, encountering challenging topics like quartertones and complex rhythms and song structures. Secondly he searched to find ways to translate the melodic and rhythmic elements on to the double bass, creating several exercises to gain familiarity with the material. The third step of the research was about applying his findings into his artistic practice. By composing new tunes and arranging existing songs, both from the traditional Arabic world as from the jazz genre, Remy aimed to let the discoveries of his research sink in in his musical creativity. Remy’s presentation will take you through his journey discovering this music. He will guide you through the three steps of his discoveries, looking at the melodic elements of the Arabic musical tradition, and how he implemented these into his own musical practice. Master Research exposition by Remy Dielemans Jazz Double Bass, Royal Conservatoire the Hague Supervised by: Loes Rusch Master Circle Leader: Wim Vos
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  What is the word (2021) author(s): Renee Jonker published in: KC Research Portal
  What than is music? – Music is language.’ Composer Anton Webern was quite outspoken in 1932 : 'A human being wants to express thoughts in this language, but not a thought that can be transferred into an idea, but only into another musical thought.’ Almost sixty years later composer Wolfgang Rihm isn’t sure whether music is a language but states in his speech 'Was ‘sagt’ Musik/ What does music ‘say’?:’ if music is saying something, than the first what is addressed to us is: speak! Music wants to make us speak. That’s what music says!’ That raises the question whether music can be referential or carry meaning just as language can. A question that has made many speak and filled libraries of studies. Cognitive psychologist Aniruddh D. Patel writes in 2008: ‘A natural place to turn for help in defining musical meaning is the work of music theorists and philosophers of aesthetics’. After summing up a dozen publications on the topic since Webern made his statement, Patel reports: ‘No consensus has emerged from these writings for a definition of musical meaning.’ There is a lot of evidence in linguistics that qualities attributed to musicality contribute to language being the carrier of meaning. So what about the other way around? Can language help to understand what is experienced as meaningful in music? Language itself is an indicator that qualities inherent to language are often given to music. In German the word Interpret is used for instrumentalists performing music. The Dutch language has the word zeggingskracht that attributes power to music. 'Zegging-’ stems from the verb zeggen (to say), ‘kracht’ means power. Zeggingskracht was one of the three criteria to assess the work of composers by the Fund for the Creation of Music (Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst ) in The Netherlands. When the power to speak is inhibited and people stammer or lose their speech suffering from aphasia, it has been said that “only music, can do the calling.” And it’s almost a cliché to say that music can express what can’t be given words. Music is not a language but often sounds like one. What do musicians that are ‘speaking’ that music have to say about meaning in music, singing, performing or creating what composer Louis Andriessen describes as ‘talkative’ music? Or the stammering that composer György Kurtág calls his mother language? How do musicians give words to those moments when their music does the talking? What is the word is the last text that Samuel Beckett completed at the end of his life when through a stroke he periodically suffered from the disability to finds words, commonly diagnosed as aphasia. The Irish author inspired many to explore the zeggingskracht of music. Precise as he was, Beckett left out a question mark in the title, both in the original French version of Comment dire and in his English translation. That the title of Samuel Beckett’s last text is not posing a question but may provide us with an answer, is the hypothesis of this research.
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• Tales of the unexpected (2021) author(s): Hans Koolmees Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  this is the pdf version
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• Innovator, Influencer, Explorer: The Harpist-Composer-Teacher, 1800-1914 (2021) author(s): Ernestine Stoop Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Drawing upon key figures in the development of harp pedagogies, techniques and compositional practices in the long 19th century, how did developments in esteem, sound and construction of the harp pave the way for early 20th century composers and their harpist-protagonists? To what extent did these harpist-composer-teachers influence composers like Debussy and Ravel, and how might they have inspired the next generation of harpists (harpist-composers) to be innovators, influencers and explorers themselves?
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• Sigfrid Karg-Elert’s Opus 153 for saxophone solo – “The saxophone’s Cello Suites” (2021) author(s): Raaf Hekkema Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Raaf Hekkema Classical Saxophone Supervisor: Anna Scott Sigfrid Karg-Elert’s Opus 153 for saxophone solo – “The saxophone’s Cello Suites” How could I be the best advocate for the above-mentioned work and its composer? I have investigated how to become the best advocate for the above-mentioned work and its composer, since I think they deserve more attention. After completely revising the entire 42-page work I delved into the historical background of it, the composer and the saxophone in Germany in the first half of the twentieth century. Karg-Elert emerged from this as a most intriguing figure in a very interesting and pivotal era in modern history. Along the way, I have learnt more about the saxophone’s history in Germany during the years between WWI and WWII. This has proven to be a very interesting period in the development of the instrument’s image. Karg-Elert, after his death, was unfortunately (and wrongfully) identified as a Jew, causing many of his manuscripts to be destroyed or lost, and his legacy to be scattered. This may also be the cause of the fact that his music was so neglected. I am presenting my findings here in the form of a fictional conversation with Karg-Elert plus a reflection on my research. All of this is to lead towards a future cd recording of the work and a theatrical concert that focuses on the music and its composer (projected in 2021). Multiple prize-winner Raaf Hekkema gives approximately 100 concerts a year the world over. Hekkema has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras and has given many international masterclasses. The solo CD ‘Paganini Caprices for Saxophone’ (MDG, 2006) earned him the German Echo Klassik ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ title. His compositions and arrangements are published by Schott Music. He is co-founder of Calefax Reed Quintet (since 1985), for whom he has arranged hundreds of works, many of which have been recorded.
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• Constructing a framework for interdisciplinary performances featuring classically trained musicians and dancers or actors (2021) author(s): Joel Gester Suarez published in: KC Research Portal
  The research aims to construct a framework for interdisciplinary performances. This framework is organised in the different components that shape creative processes. The research follows a process that begins with my experience in the dance-music collaboration “The Devil on the Dance Floor”, which included my ensemble Quinteto del Diablo, dancer Rosanna Ter Steege, and stage director Laura Suárez. The insights gained from this project, as well as the interview with director and actress Laura Suárez, led to the theorisation of the framework. The mentioned components are organised in a map. Each one of them serves as a possible starting point for a creative process. The propositions drawn from the framework support the notion of non-hierarchical creative processes. However, it also concludes that all the mentioned components have to be observed and worked with according to their qualities. After the layout of the framework, the interview with dancer and choreographer Mar López provides a critical comparison to support the theory through the experience of someone outside my environment. The last section analyses my master project, a piano-dance duo with Rosanna ter Steege, as a practical application of this theoretical framework. The research aims to set a framework that can help me and others, especially classically trained musicians, when working on an interdisciplinary performance. The format of the presentation is a research exposition.
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