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

• Music Makers: Growth and Fulfillment in Music Making for Music Educators (2019) author(s): Isabeau Totterer Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  This research is about how to continue making music through engagement in musical activities with meaningful understandings that the act of music making contributes to lifelong musical growth. The measurement of validation as a musician are based on concepts of FLOW and deal with the combination of musicianship understandings through the philosophies of Zoltán Kodály, David J. Elliott, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
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• La Courante Françoise. Historically Informed Performance of the French Courante For Harpsichord During the Second Half of the Seventeenth Century Following the Criteria Obtained From the Baroque Dance (2019) author(s): Diego Ruenes Rubiales published in: KC Research Portal
  Research Question: How can the knowledge and practice of Baroque Dance improve our performances of Courantes in the Harpsichord?
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  The Improvisational Ear-How to build improvisational language through the study of speech (2019) author(s): Hue Blanes published in: KC Research Portal
  This artistic research investigates the transcription process in improvisational musical landscapes. Particularly the transcription process of speeches and speech patterns for the main purpose of developing and furthering jazz language to communicate more effectively as a communicator-improviser. This research asks the question, how can musicians build improvisational musical language through the study of speech? Effective methods of transcribing practice with the goal of developing the musical ear are developed during this research. These are demonstrated with analysis, harmonisation, survey, additional experiments and a set of improvisations and compositions. A systematic approach to improvisation in a spoken style will be shaped and consequently, the ‘voice on the piano’ will be found. These outcomes will be presented with the aspiration to venture toward melodic and harmonic possibilities of functional harmony not yet established in improvisational vocabulary.
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• Did They Throw Tomatoes? The Performer-Audience Relationship in 18th-century England (2019) author(s): Chloe Prendergast published in: KC Research Portal
  Student Number 3111644 Supervisor(s) Stefan Petrovic and Jed Wentz Title Did They Throw Tomatoes? The Performer-Audience Relationship in 18-century England Research Question What was the nature of the performer-audience relationship in 18th-century England and how can this influence our relationship with audiences today? Summary With the explosion of the public concert in 18th-century England and the ensuing so called “rage for music”, it is clear that concerts were a vital part of the social life of England’s elite and burgeoning middle class. What created this experience? What roles did both audience and performers play? How did it differ from the ways in which we encounter classical music concerts in the 21st century? This research explores how 18th-century English music was publicly experienced in paid, secular concert settings. It was quite different from what we might now expect in the same setting, and therefore it engendered a vastly different performer-audience relationship than what we often have today. The concert spaces, audience makeup, and concert etiquette each were contributing factors in creating a varied and highly social experience for concertgoers. The aim of this research paper is to illuminate this experience and explore how something similar might be relevantly created in the 21st century. Short Bio Chloe Prendergast is a violinist originally from Denver, Colorado. She is the artistic director of the Beethoven Festival of the Hague, a member of Holland Baroque and the Butter Quartet, and has performed with groups including the Handel and Haydn Society, Pacific Musicworks, Henry Purcell Society of Boston, Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, Luthers Bach Ensemble, Collegium Ad Mosam, and Arcadia Players. Chloe currently studies at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague with Kati Debretzeni and Walter Reiter. She holds a degree from Willamette University, where she was a Phil Hanni scholar and studied principally with Anthea Kreston and Daniel Rouslin.
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  Approaching a Rhetorical Performance of Late 18th Century Keyboard Music from the Methods of john Walker (2019) author(s): Anders Muskens published in: KC Research Portal
  Student Number 3105008 Supervisor(s) Anna Scott, Jed Wentz Title Approaching a Rhetorical Performance of Late 18th Century Keyboard Music from the Methods of john Walker Research Question How can we apply declamatory principles from late 18th century English treatises to historical performance of late 18th century solo keyboard music? Summary There is no doubt that the art of classical rhetoric played an important role in the conception and performance of music in the 18th century. In order to better understand how to perform rhetorically in an historically informed manner, an understanding of declamation as it was understood in the late 18th century is key. This thesis uses the written methods of English actor-turned-elocutionist, John Walker, as the basis to proposing a rhetorical approach to late 18th century solo keyboard repertoire. Linguistic concepts of sense, structure, style, and delivery (acting) are likened to analogous concepts in galant music and supported with statements from musical treatises and examples from musical works. Two main performance case studies are considered for comparison: the first linguistic, being Walker’s 1787 annotated version of Edward IV’s speech from William Shakespeare’s "Richard III"; and the second musical, being the Adagio movement of Joseph Haydn’s 1794 Keyboard Sonata Hob. XVI:52. It is hoped that this investigation will not only expand the horizons of the author’s solo performances, but will also provide interesting and useful tools for other musicians. Short Bio Anders Muskens began modern piano studies at the age of 4 in Edmonton, Canada. He graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto under the tutelage of Dr. Irina Konovalov. He now studies fortepiano and harpsichord at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague with Dr. Bart van Oort, Petra Somlai, and Fabio Bonizzoni. He received numerous awards including: 1st place at the Early Music Young Ensemble Competition at the London Exhibition of Early Music 2018 in a duo with soprano Tinka Pypker; and the „Hofkapelle Elbe-Elster“ prize at the „Gebrüder Graun Prize“ 2018 with his ensemble Das Neue Mannheimer Orchester.
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  The Art of Arpeggiation (2019) author(s): Niels Pfeffer published in: KC Research Portal
  Student Number 3167720 Supervisor(s) Patrick van Deurzen Title The Art of Arpeggiation Research Question How many different ways of arpeggiation is it possible to think of and how is musical meaning created through them? Summary This research is about discovering the expressive possibilities of arpeggiation – may it be indicated by an arpeggio sign or added arbitrarily by a performer. For two reasons this question seems relevant: 1. In the past century, the idea that musical performance should be an exact reproduction of the score has become increasingly predominant and in consequence the idea of exact synchronity has evolved. Seeking for a more creative and less reproducing way to perform, breaking up this rigid synchronity provides us with an exciting "playground" yet to be explored. 2. Particularly on the classical guitar arpeggiation can frequently be heard – often for more technical than musical reasons. Especially on this instrument, a more reflected use is desirable. It was barely looked at the rules on what happens "inside" an arpeggiation. A reason for that might be, that everything inside an arpeggiation usually occurs very rapidly which makes it a lot harder to be analyzed. Besides that, often in arpeggiation the performer relies on "automatic" processes that are difficult to be modified consciously. I propose the idea, that arpeggiation consists of multiple layers of meaning that can be put together in any possible combination. The layers of arpeggiation span with increasing subtlety from habitual arpeggiation to a meticulously planned effect. In the presentation I will demonstrate this concept by showing different ways and meanings of arpeggiation in recordings and on my instrument. Short Bio Niels Pfeffer finished his harpsichord studies at the Stuttgart University of Music under Jörg Halubek and his guitar studies with Johannes Monno in 2017. He is studying in master with Robert Hill in Freiburg (harpsichord) and with Zoran Dukić in The Hague (guitar). With the guitar he won numerous prizes at renowned competitions. He is passionate about playing continuo on theorbo and harpsichord. With both instruments he took part in opera and orchestra performances. As member of different early music ensembles he has been regularly successful in competitions. At the University of Music Stuttgart he is teaching continuo and theorbo.
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