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

• Piano four-hands, "once again" (2021) author(s): Alessandra Di Gennaro published in: KC Research Portal
  This work arises from the long and passionate research the author has been conducting as member of a professional piano duo in order to understand why the piano four-hands repertoire has always been stigmatized as an “inferior genre” despite its unquestionable beauty, and to shed light on the contemporary repertoire for this medium, which is at present almost unknown, unperformed and undiscussed, despite it embodies masterpieces of undoubted artistic value. To do so, the work focuses at first upon the technical challenges, the distinctive features, the possibilities of expression as well as the limitations that characterize the piano four-hands repertoire, explaining why they are of a completely unique order and why they make the medium itself so distinctive and so controversial at the same time. The script then explores the medium also from a more historical point of view, setting it into its social-cultural-musical context and deeply investigating that process that has brought it from being considered one of the most fascinating socio-cultural phenomenas of the 19th century to its almost complete extinction at the beginning of the 20th century, with the ultimate scope of analyzing what’s left of it nowadays and its role in the current musical scene. The results of the investigation point out that once the historical and sociological factors that have allowed the extreme popularity of the medium fell short, it could finally assume a completely new value and be a site of compositional and performance innovation which absolutely deserves to be discovered, performed and analyzed. The outputs of this dissertation have also inspired the young Chinese composer Ching-Fang Teng to write “Entanglement”, a proper homage to the medium and to its endless compositional potential.
  open exposition comments (1)
• 
  Taking off the mask: embracing vulnerability on stage (2021) author(s): Marlon Valk published in: KC Research Portal
  Many musicians think that experiencing and showing vulnerability is a weakness. I see it differently. To share our music with the world, without any assurance of acceptance or appreciation, is to be vulnerable; to be real, to choose courage over comfort, to take off your mask, is vulnerability. The exposure and risk we face, are not optional. In my own musical journey, I discovered that I cannot escape vulnerability on stage. What if embracing our vulnerability is key to convincing, yet authentic performances? This research is not about finding the magic solution for performance anxiety. It is not about avoiding vulnerability, but about embracing it. Embracing vulnerability starts with defining, recognizing and understanding it. That is exactly where this research started: a literature review was done and experts in the field of psychology were interviewed. This led to the design of strategies that can help embracing vulnerability when performing and when preparing a performance. These strategies are used in an intervention over 13 performances that have been documented with audio/video recordings, a journal and a self-questionnaire. Results show that performance preparation is a crucial element in dealing with vulnerability. Also, embracing vulnerability led to more experiences of ‘flow’, enhanced focus and increased trust in my abilities to perform music. Besides, I felt more authentic as a performer. These findings, although subjective, provide insights and strategies that could be of great benefit to other musicians.
  open exposition comments (0)
• E quando mai potro cessar di piangere ? : an exploration of the links between arias with obbligato instruments and musical affects in Antonio Caldara’s oratorios composed between 1716 and 1736 for the Habsburg’s Hofmusikkapelle in Vienna (2021) author(s): Maud Haering published in: KC Research Portal
  Student Number 3262561 Supervisor Inês de Avena Braga Title E quando mai potrò cessar di piangere ? An exploration of the links between arias with obbligato instruments and musical affects in Antonio Caldara’s oratorios composed between 1716 and 1736 for the Habsburg’s Hofmusikkapelle in Vienna Research Question What is the link between obbligato instruments, text and affects in Antonio Caldara’s oratorios composed for the Vienna’s Hofmusikkapelle between 1716 and 1736? Sub-questions How can the creation of a descriptive catalogue of Caldara’s oratorios help uncover his choices for instrumentation in relation to the libretti and religious context? How does Caldara’s choice of obbligato instrument emphasize the affects already present in the text? Summary The aim of this research is to rediscover music that has been forgotten for centuries. Through the topic of making links between obbligato instruments and affects in the texts from the libretti in Caldara's oratorios written when he was a composer at the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle, I would like to shine a light on new arias for voice and obbligato instruments which are, in my point of view, very beautiful and which deserve to be highlighted. Antonio Caldara needed to adapt to the imperial court music taste and also to its available instrumentarium, and from the day he started to compose for Charles VI, he began to use different instruments in his way of writing arias in his oratorios. In order to keep the focus of the research on his oratorios composed in Vienna, I purposefully will not discuss the considerable number of operas he composed in the same period, and I will contextualize these works thanks to a descriptive catalogue of each of the oratorios, to the translations of the texts of the arias, and by paying attention to the Habsburg dinasty in Vienna. Short biography Maud Haering is a French soprano. After studying Medieval Music at the Sorbonne University of Paris (France), she decided to continue her specialization in the Early Music repertoire in singing more Baroque and Renaissance music. With several ensembles, she performed different baroques styles (Italian, German, English and French) of different periods (17th and 18th centuries) either secular or sacred. Always looking for new repertoire to discover and sing, she really enjoys going into libraries to see manuscripts or to explore the thousands of resources available online to find new pieces. This research about Caldara is one of her explorations.
  open exposition comments (0)
• 
  Giuseppe Torelli and the birth of the Violin Concerto (2021) author(s): Pietro Battistoni published in: KC Research Portal
  Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709), a violinist and composer famous all over Europe during his lifetime, has not received much attention in today's concert programs and academic environments. This research has a twofold intention: reconstruct the life of Torelli and investigate the origins of a genre of which he is considered to be the father, the soloistic concerto. As a case of study, an in-depth analysis is been drawn of one violin concerto, which has a debated authorship nowadays, poised between Torelli and Vivaldi. The results are presented in three chapters: the first one contains the biography; in the second one it is outlined how Torelli redefined the form of the pre-existing Concerto Grosso, thanks to the activity of his predecessors and to the peculiar context in which he was active. This process resulted in the arise of the concerto for solo instrument, which already presented all the characteristics that made this musical form so popular and successful amongst his contemporaries and the following generations. The third chapter consists of an analysis of the Concerto for violin in D minor A.2.3.9/RV813. Through the examination of the primary sources, its transcription for solo keyboard made by Johann Sebastian Bach and the stylistic patterns used, I intend to demonstrate that the attribution to Torelli is more plausible. The inquiry about this repertoire through a musicological and historical contextualization can bring to a more grounded awareness in how to approach this music as a performer and, hopefully, it will lead to a rediscovery of musical treasures.
  open exposition comments (0)
• From Xavier Lefèvre to Frédéric Berr: Clarinet instruction at the Paris Conservatory between 1795 and 1838. (2021) author(s): Théo Couillez published in: KC Research Portal
  Student Number 3258904 Supervisor Bart van Oort Title From Xavier Lefèvre to Frédéric Berr: Clarinet instruction at the Paris Conservatory between 1795 and 1838. Research Question How to describe clarinet instruction at the Paris Conservatory between 1795 and 1838? Summary The Paris Conservatory was founded in 1795. Xavier Lefèvre (1763-1829) was one of the first clarinet professor to teach there, from 1795 to 1824. In 1802 he published an important clarinet tutor intended for study at the Conservatoire: Méthode de clarinette. Frédéric Berr (1794-1838) held the same position from 1832 to 1838. In 1836 he published a Méthode complète de clarinette and a Traité complet de la clarinette. Thanks to these writings, it is possible nowadays to get an idea of the skills needed by a French clarinettist of the early 19th century to play the music of his time. The aim of this research is thus to describe the main aspects of performance practice during the chosen period. Many of these aspects are not limited to the clarinet. Consequently, other methods for singing or for other instruments related to the Conservatory, have been studied to provide a broader perspective of performance practice at that time. As the first decades of the 19th century witnessed important developments in clarinet making and instrumental technique, it has been essential to discuss this point in this research. However the central aspect of this work is musical expression, the ultimate goal of a performance. Phrasing, the variety of articulation and dynamics appear as essential tools for the performer who wants to communicate with the audience. Short biography Théo Couillez is a French clarinetist. He studied in his native country where he received the bachelor degree at the Pôle Supérieur Paris Boulogne-Billancourt in 2017. Eager to discover another approach to interpretation, he decided in 2019 to study for the Master degree in historical clarinet with Eric Hoeprich at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. (Netherlands). Passionate about the symphonic orchestra, he took part to several orchestral academies such as the Youth European Orchestra Hector Belioz led by François-Xavier Roth and the Collegium Vocal Gent Academy led by Philippe Herreweghe.
  open exposition comments (0)
• 
  A Study on Ornamentation and Expression in French vocal Music (1650-1750) (2021) author(s): Kitty Lai published in: KC Research Portal
  This study aims to understand and learn about the historical performance practice in the 17th century. As an early music singer, I am attracted to the sweet and charming 17th-century French vocal music. In particular, I am interested in the relationship between French ornamentation and expression. This research investigates the background of 17th-century performance practice in France in relation to the ornamentation, the pronunciation of 17th-century French, the different types of ornaments and the expression implied by the ornaments. The performance practice in the 17th century was different from now since it was undergoing a major change from polyphonic to solo music, which emphasised more the text than the music. The knowledge of ornamentation was an expected requirement for all well-trained singers in the 17th century, ornamentation was not merely a decoration, but a tool in emphasizing the importance of the text. Thus, it is necessary to learn ornamentation for a complete 17th-century French vocal performance. Since text was the main element in 17th-century French vocal music, it is important to know the characteristics of French language in this period. The ability to distinguish French long and short syllables was important because ornamentation could only be applied mostly to long syllables. The pronunciation of certain French vowels has undergone a significant alteration, and the ‘old’ way of pronouncing them is included in the study. The research findings also show that some ornaments were meant to be used only in certain expression and they help me to better ‘compose’ French ornamentation in future performances.
  open exposition comments (1)