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

• Harmonic awareness for drummers (2019) author(s): Jasper Hilgerink Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Jasper Hilgerink Jazz Drums Jarmo Hoogendijk Harmonic Awareness for Drummers Will studying the tension and release points of chord progressions in jazz standards result in better melodic drum solos? This exposition contains the research and result of a study into the development of better melodic drums solos through a number of analysis and experiments. Taking inspiration from a selection of legendary historic jazz drummers including Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones and Shelly Manne. A strong focus on chord progressions, specifically the chordal analysis of five jazz standards leads to a clear visualisation of the tension and release points of the harmonic structure. The next step of this process is creating this tension and release on the drums to match the chord structure. This is accomplished through recording, experimentation and creating exercises. These results are presented in the master symposium through live performance of the selected standards and demonstrations of the exercises. The presentation will also include an explanation of the process using visual tools, explanations and examples of the styles of the researched historic drummers. Short Biography: My name is Jasper Hilgerink, born in Almelo, the Netherlands, 25-10-1994. From a young age I was exposed to lots of music in and outside the house. I went out with my family to see my dad perform in the local bigband, concertband and funkbands. When I reached the age of 9 I started picking up the clarinet. This was my first proper music education. 7 years later i picked up the tenor saxophone and that's when I start to listen and play my first jazz standards. By the time I wanted to study at a conservatoire, I couldn't deny my love for the drums, having played the instrument since the age of 6. I started my studies at ArtEZ Zwolle, school of arts on drums in the course Jazz&Pop. In the meantime I devoloped myself in a performing artist & part time teacher. After the bachelors in Zwolle, I started the Masters program in the Royal Conservatoire, the Hague
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• A Universal Language? - Challenges of crossover music-making (2019) author(s): Tom Goff Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  This research project explores the process of collaboration between musicians of classical training on orchestral instruments, and musicians working in the pop, jazz and folk genres. It focuses on the role of the conductor and investigates how they can best act as a mediator between members of distinct musical traditions, bringing together performers who effectively speak different languages. My musical activities span different genres within the jazz, classical, and pop worlds as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and composer/arranger. As a conductor it was natural for me to investigate the artistic possibilities and practical limitations of projects where these worlds meet. I did this primarily through interviews with six musicians from various backgrounds: Joe Duddell, Frank Veenstra, Clark Rundell, Tim Kliphuis, Bart Schneemann, and Rob Moose. These interviews are supplemented by secondary literature that is primarily focused on the differences in training of classical and jazz artists. Whilst reflecting on the challenges that crossover projects present, I began to question what those challenges say about the differences between these musical cultures. The research also includes reflections on my recent experience conducting parts of Mark-Antony Turnage’s Blood on the Floor with the Noord Nederlands Orkest. Scored for jazz quartet and chamber orchestra, this masterpiece is perhaps the beginning of a canon for orchestral-jazz crossover music, and my approach to preparing the performance was closely linked to the progress of this research and the accompanying interviews.
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• The Application of The Taubman Approach to the Rehabilitation of Focal Dystonia: The Documentation of My Personal Experience (2019) author(s): Eloy García Pérez Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  It is a fact that playing-related injuries affect musicians to a great extent. The most optimistic studies show that at least 50% of musicians, amateurs or professionals develop an injury at some point in their artistic life. However, it is also a fact that the lack of information and prevention is widespread. As a result, many musicians, including myself, are not aware of the importance of developing a healthy technique and adopting injury-prevention habits. After many years of wrong technical approaches and constant physical tension when performing, I developed one of the most serious injuries existing, focal dystonia. The search for information about my own injury allowed me to discover the work of Dorothy Taubman. For several decades, this American pedagogue developed a piano method of her own that, apart from analyzing the biomechanical principles behind virtuosity, has obvious therapeutic effects on instrumentalists affected by injuries, including those of a serious nature like mine. Through this work, I expose the basic principles of this method and experiment with them in order to check if they have beneficial effects for my injury. My main conclusion is that, despite the fact that science considers focal dystonia incurable and irreversible, the application of healthy technical principles that take into account the biomechanical aspect of piano performing, can undoubtedly help to overcome this injury.
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• Are my hands able to speak as well as my mouth? (“70% you can show, 30% you must speak” Herbert von Karajan) (2019) author(s): Paul van Dalen Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Research Proposal: Name: Paul van Dalen Studentnumber: 3165884 Main-Subject: HaFaBra-Conducting Main-Subject Teacher: Alex Schillings Supervisor: Jarmo Hoogendijk Date: 11-12-2017 Research Title: Are my hands able to speak as well as my mouth? (“70% you can show, 30% you must speak” Herbert von Karajan)
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• Of the Good Taste (2019) author(s): Aleksan Chobanov Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  This research topic is a result of a process of building up interest in vocal ornamentation and in particular the development of the vocal cadenza. The concrete choice of topic is a result of a course, followed at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and I considered it important to my practice as a musician studying historically informed performance in the field of singing. This thesis aims to answer the following general question: Which prescriptions of "good taste" (suggestions for making tasteful ornamentation) in the performance of a cadenza are manifesting in a selection of 6 vocal treatises from the years 1723 to 1855 and how did the cadenza develop in that period As forthcoming and clarifying secondary questions are offered the following: What are the rules to be found in these treatises to help us make our own cadenzas being respectful to the “good taste” of the relevant time-period? What changes in the construction of the cadenza? How does the cadenza evolve in the course of the time between the treatises, is there a certain tendency? The way to receive answers to the questions above I hope to achieve in five steps through: 1. Researching the opinions in the treatises of the singing masters P. F. Tosi, J. Agricola, G.B. Mancini, J. A. Hiller, D. Corri, and M. Garcia II. 2. Making an overview of their guidelines and sentiments towards the tasteful performance of the cadenza (how was it and how it was supposed to get performed back then; what did they not like?). 3. Comparing their opinions with each other 4. Discussing the development of the cadenza in general in the introduction, referring to its instrumental appearance 5. Attempting to implement the mentioned rules in my own practice, hence in my final-exam through various as time-period pieces. Hence, the aim of this research – to find out what were the customs and rules and put forward the written opinions of singing masters who printed their theoretical works between the eighteenth and mid-nineteenth century. In that way, with interpretation of the rules and examples, hoping this paper to be able to give secure guidance to singers (including me) wishing to take up the direction of the so-called “good taste” for the relevant time period of the works they are performing as it would say in the treatises relevant for the time when the piece was composed.
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  Nomos Alpha of Iannis XENAKIS for cello solo : guide for performers (2019) author(s): Josquin Buvat Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Name: Josquin Buvat Main subject: Cello Supervisor: Patrick van Deurzen Master circle leader: Martin Prchal Title: Nomos Alpha of Iannis Xenakis: guide for performers Research question: how build one's interpretation of Nomos Alpha ? And practice it? Summary of result: Today, Nomos Alpha (1965-66) is greeted with loud applause each time it is performed. And the piece is considered one of the greatest pieces of the 20th century's cello solo repertoire, still it's also one of most difficult and “avant-gardiste”. Furthermore, the piece remains 'Difficult' for the listener: it is submerged in the torrent of 144 micro-events, an extreme fragmentation accentuated by the presence of many silences. That's why Nomos is only rarely played. Since the piece's creation in 1966, lot of cellists were aware of the existence of Nomos Alpha. Many cellists had the score, but hardly anyone played it. It seemed important to me to begin my research with an analysis of the piece and an explanation of the historical musical context of that time. Indeed, Nomos alpha is one of Xenakis’s most ‘formalised’ pieces, the structure and all the parameters are calculated down to the last details. For cellists, these knowledges are essential to understanding the piece and making the necessary choices to build its interpretation of Nomos Alpha. In last the last part of this research, I have maked a guide for performers for the cellist who would like to play Nomos Alpha. For this guide I will try to concentrate on some essentials aspects of the piece for the performers. To illustrate this guide I did an critic comparative analysis of the different versions of the piece. And finally to complete this guide I did some videos of tutorials on how to practice the piece. Biography  After completing his studies at Pôle Supérieur Paris Boulogne-Billancourt in Michel Strauss's cello class, as well as his Bachelor's degree in Musicology at Paris-Sorbonne University, Josquin Buvat continued his studies in a Master's degree in Performance at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag. Josquin gives a special place to modern music and contemporary creation in his repertoire. Since 2017, he has been a member of the Nomos ensemble, with which he has appeared at several festivals, including the Presences festival at Radio France, a concert that will be recorded. He performs regularly in chamber music as well as in orchestra, with Les Siècles, Ensemble Appasionato, Ensemble A-letheia the OJIF, the JOEHB. In addition to his musical activities Josquin is also involved in the field of associations, for two years including one as President of the Students Office of the PSPBB.
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