Performing the 'Group of the Six'
(2018)
author(s): Federico Forla
published in: KC Research Portal
Name: Federico Forla
Main Subject: Oboe
Research supervisor: Wouter Verschuren
Title of Research:
Performing the 'Group of the Six'
Research Question:
Which are the common aesthetic aspects found in the Group of the Six? How can one exemplify it in the performance?
Summary of Results:
A new French style starts to develop at the beginning of twentieth-century. This style will flourish and develop trough all the century. We can find in the 'Group of the Six' a first controversial example of this new aesthetic. In my research I used historical sources, writings of the composers and writers of the time, together with detailed analysis of representative compositions. Merging all this information, I was able to create a clearer picture of the new French aesthetic of the 'Group of the Six'. Performance practice is a central aspect: specific examples of the aesthetic's reflection in the scores are intended as a suggestion for the execution. A case-study at the end of the research shows a practical example of how the collected information can be used and related within a specific piece.
Biography:
Since the beginning of my musical studies I got really interested in chamber music. It was for me the most direct, simple and democratic way to make music together. In the following years this interest persisted, giving me the urge to explore and experiment new repertoire. My initial period at the Royal Conservatoire was characterized by my first serious approach to French chamber music of twentieth-century. My research was inspired by the issues, doubts and reflections of that period.
Monteverdi and the architecture of emotions
(2018)
author(s): Anabela Marcos
published in: KC Research Portal
Name: Anabela Marcos
Main Subject: Singing
Research supervisors: Johannes Boer and Erwin Roebroeks
Title of Research: Monteverdi and the architecture of emotions
Research Question: In what way could the formal and the expressive elements in Monteverdi's music be related to painting and architecture of his contemporaries?
Summary of results:
In the preface of his Eighth Book of Madrigals, Madrigali Guerrieri et Amorosi, Claudio Monteverdi announced one of the fundaments of his musical construction: the power of the contrasting passions. The humanist theme, that inspired not only musicians but also poets, painters and architects of the time, into a common goal; the expression of the human emotions.
The research “Architecture of emotions”, is centred in Monteverdi’s music in the period starting from his Lamento d’ Arianna (1608) to the Lamento della Ninfa included in the Eight Book of Madrigals (1638) - the same time, thirty years, that it takes Francesco Borromini to finish the small church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome, in what will be his first (the interior) and his last commission (the façade).
Inspired in this extraordinary building, which is both a guide and structure to the musical ideas presented, and supported by a selection of Caravaggio’s paintings to be the visual counterpart to Monteverdi’s music, this research aims to be a possible and personal interpretation to the vast question of the relation between music, painting and architecture in the context of the humanist environment in the transition from Renaissance to Baroque in Italy.
Biography:
After working as an architect for several years, the Portuguese Soprano Anabela Marcos, was granted a full scholarship from the Gulbenkian Foundation of Lisbon to study Singing and Opera at the Royal Conservatoire in the Hague, the Netherlands, with Rita Dams, Diane Forlano and Marius van Altena.
Her opera repertoire includes Pamina (Die Zauberflöte, Mozart), Suzanna (Le Nozze de Figaro, Mozart), Zerlina (Don Giovanni, Mozart), Titania (Midsummer Night’s Dream, Britten), Clori (L’Egisto, Cavalli), Venus and Cupid (King Arthur, Purcell), Daphne (Apollo and Daphne, Händel), Belinda (Dido and Aeneas, Purcell).
As a soloist, Anabela has worked with conductors such as Ton Koopman, Jos van Veldhoven, Sigiswald Kuyken, Michel Corboz and she is a member of the Baroque ensemble La Primavera. Among her future projects is the new program “Architecture of emotions”, included in the 25th jubilee of this ensemble and based on her two year research around Monteverdi’s music.
The Can of Norms: Expanding the Modern Lute Plucking Technique
(2018)
author(s): Talitha Witmer
published in: KC Research Portal
Name: Talitha Cumi Witmer
Main Subject: Lute/Theorbo
Research Supervisor: Bart van Oort
Title of Research: The Can of Norms: Expanding the Modern Lute Plucking Technique
Research Question: Can “Thumb-out,” a historical lute technique in common use following the late Renaissance period, become favored by lutenists today?
Summary of Results:
After its revival in the 20th century, much has been discovered about the lute and its technique. One issue that is recently placed on the agenda of lutenists is the plucking technique applied on lutes. It is a known fact that Thumb-out was the technique applied most commonly for lute playing. Yet, very few lutenists adopt this Thumb-out technique today. Modern lute tutors tend to advise to avoid Thumb-out. If not, they advise to pluck around the rossete, and position their thumb close to the index finger. In paintings and treatises, however, we see Thumb-out hand with thumb positioned away from the index while the hand is placed around the bridge, and Thumb-out hand placed around the rosette, the former more often. I delved into this technique for 3 years and have come to understand that this “forgotten Thumb-out” is as matter of fact a technique that can be very beneficial for lute players, opening new, colorful, historical and healthy possibilities.
Biography:
The American-Korean lutenist, Talitha Cumi Witmer, started her musical studies at age 4 with church choir and piano. When she was 9 she heard a lute on a CD and immediately fell in love with its sound. Her dream to study the lute was then realized at the age of 13, when she began her formal studies on the instrument in Tokyo. Since 2011 she studies the lute under Joachim Held, and the theorbo under Mike Fentross since 2012. She performs both as a continuo player and a soloist, in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Netherlands, and Portugal.
The Music of Johann Rudolph Ahle
(2018)
author(s): Jacob Gramit
published in: KC Research Portal
Name: Jacob Gramit
Main Subject: Early Music Singing
Research Supervisor: Kathryn Cok
Title of Research: The Music of Johann Rudolph Ahle: Editorial and Performance Issues Surrounding the 1658 Neu-Gepflanzter Thüringischer Lustgarten
Research Question: How can creating a critical-performance edition of the music of Johann Rudolph Ahle impact my performance of his music?
Summary of Results:
Having always been drawn to German Music of the seventeenth century, I found a collection of music from Johann Rudolph Ahle (1623-1673) that was largely unknown and unperformed. This enabled me to start from nothing when creating an edition and researching Ahle's life and music; meaning I could see what effect the process would have on my performance. By doing detailed research into a specific collection, looking at both his compositional style and his use of pre-existing texts and music, I discovered Ahle's seeming fascination with personal spirituality, leading to new ideas for the performance of his music.
Biography:
Originally from Edmonton Canada, Jacob Gramit is currently living in the Netherlands, pursuing a Master’s Degree in The Hague, studying with Pascal Bertin, Peter Kooij, Dorothee Mields, Robin Blaze, and Lenie van den Heuvel. Recently, he both prepared the edition and performed in Michael Chance’s production of Cavalli’s Giasone, and upcoming projects include Handel’s Dixit Dominus with Holland Baroque and Cappella Amsterdam.
Before moving abroad, Jacob lived in Vancouver, where he still performs - most recently he performed in the 2017 Vancouver Bach Festival, and coordinated the Summer Festival of Sacred Music at Christ Church Cathedral, which he will return to run in 2018. He attended the University of British Columbia (BMus, 2012), and sang for three seasons with musica intima, a professional and self-directed vocal ensemble.
European Female Wind Band Composers and Their Works
(2018)
author(s): Renata Silva Oliveira
published in: KC Research Portal
Name: Renata Oliveira
Main Subject: Wind Band Conducting
Research Supervisors: Anna Scott, André Granjo
Title of Research: European Female Wind Band Composers and Their Works
Research Question: Can shedding new light on women composers’ contributions to the wind band and ensemble repertoire via the creation of a catalogue, the preparation of a critical edition, and the commission of a new work, help to encourage more Portuguese women to compose for this medium?
Summary of Results:
In Portugal, as far as it is possible to assess, only two established women composers have written works for wind band or large wind ensemble: Berta Alves de Sousa, who composed Porto Heróico in 1943, and Maria de Lourdes Martins, who composed Rapsódia de Natal, Rondó and Suite de Danças Tradicionais Portuguesas in 1978. In a country with an important tradition of wind band musical practice, it seems strange that so few women composers have used this medium to convey their musical ideas. In order to put the production of female composers for this medium in perspective, I researched relevant works from as many European female composers as possible. Ultimately, the hope was to better understand their outputs for wind band, to promote their works, and to make way for a new composition for wind band from a female Portuguese composer.
This project has three main outcomes: 1) an online and physical catalogue of virtually all European female composers who have written for wind ensemble, including biographical data, a list of their works, and statistical analyses of their personal data (by age, country, type of ensemble); 2) a critical edition of Berta Alves de Sousa's Porto Heróico manuscript; and 3) my commissioned work for wind band O Soldado da Misarela by Anne Victorino d’Almeida. At the end of this project I can answer yes to the question of whether shedding new light on this field can encourage more female Portuguese composers to write for wind band.
Biography:
Renata Oliveira is a Portuguese conductor. She began her orchestra conducting studies with Jean-Marc Burfin and later with Jean-Sebastien Béreau. In conducting masterclasses Renata has worked with: Jose Pascual-Vilaplana, Kenneth Kiesler, Jean-Sebastien Béreau, Ernst Schelle, Robert Houlihan, Felix Hauswirth, Jan Cober and Douglas Bostock. She holds a Masters in Psychology and a Masters in Orchestra Conducting. She is conductor of two Portuguese wind bands, and is responsible for their associated music schools. Renata simultaneously studies Wind Band Conducting with Alex Schillings at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague and a Masters in Music Teaching (Wind Band Conducting specialisation) at the University of Aveiro.
To bow, or not to bow
(2018)
author(s): Alexandra Lopez Arca
published in: KC Research Portal
Name: Alexandra López Arca
Main Subject: Classical Violin
Research supervisor: Liesbeth Ackermans
Title of Research: To bow, or not to bow. Modern bow vs. baroque bow: comparisons and inspirations
Research Questions: To what extent do the shape and construction of the bow affect the violinist’s sound and to what extent do her/his use of the bow and musical choices influence the sound? What can a modern violinist learn from experimenting with a baroque bow? What are aspects of the evolution of the violin bow, its use and the evolution of right hand technique from the 18th century until now that are essential to be aware of when playing with both modern and baroque bow?
Summary of Results:
The bow is the soul of the violin. Playing with different bows alters our sound. Their shape and construction affect the articulation that we naturally get with them. This fact tells us a lot about the music for which they were built, and we can learn from it in a natural way. But when a violinist is only familiarised with a modern bow, the learning process with an old bow can hardly take place. It is better to know what the characteristics of each bow are and experimenting with them in order to get used to them. After having this experience, different attacks, articulations and nuances will emerge and facilitate the music for which every bow was thought. It is interesting to see how the sources from those times show us the musical value of the different possibilities of the old bow. Nevertheless, if the musical idea the violinist has in mind does not match the old bow’s natural behavior and the indications made for its use, using it would not bring any advantage. After an overview of the evolution of the bow and its relation with the right hand technique, I will explore the possibility of combining a modern instrument with an old bow as well as the benefits of using it for playing, especially when used following the indications the sources of that period reveal.
Biography:
Born in Santiago de Compostela, she finished her bachelor’s degree at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya before moving to The Hague, where she studies with Vera Beths. Since her years in Barcelona, she has developed a special interest for early music performance practice, stimulated by her lessons with Alba Roca and Lorenzo Coppola, and with Walter Reiter in the Royal Conservatoire.
, Kathryn Cok