Exposition

"An Actor Prepares": A musician's approach to a selection of techniques by Konstantin Stanislavski (2022)

André Teixeira
open exposition

About this exposition

The belief that imagination’s engagement and emotional connection with what I play enhance my performance propelled me to do this research. However, these are not systematically integrated in instrumental practice. Thus, it seemed to me that the twentieth century theatre director Konstantin Stanislavski’s ‘system’ would be the perfect basis for such a quest. The starting point were acting techniques from his first book "An Actor Prepares": the "given circumstances", imagination-related ("supposed circumstances", “inner visions”, "magic if”) – and emotion-related ("emotion memory", "sensation memory", "surroundings"). Partly supported by existing literature, these techniques were linked with the instrumentalists' work and tested out in a self-case study through three interventions. The process consisted of making video recordings of the 'before' and the actual interventions, which were guided by the filling out of intervention forms designed by me. The techniques were applied on three distinct piano passages of Richard Strauss’ melodrama for narrator and piano "Enoch Arden". Furthermore, I did interventions’ reports to provide more palpable insights about the experience, namely the effects of each technique on the performer. The outcome was evaluated through a questionnaire filled in by a group of listeners, comprising musicians and non-musicians, and by me. The responses generally show that the techniques were effective. However, the recordings were perceived as very similar. Also, the listeners’ perception sometimes differed from mine. Nevertheless, the reports allow us to conclude that these techniques might affect the performer’s focus, creativity, self-confidence, knowledge about the works and also self-knowledge.
typeresearch exposition
keywordspiano, Enoch Arden, practice, Musical Training Performance & Cognition, Music Performance, emotions, imagination, Constantin Stanislavski, Konstantin Stanislavski
date21/02/2022
published09/05/2022
last modified09/05/2022
statuspublished
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseCC BY-NC-ND
languageEnglish
urlhttps://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1420396/1420397
doihttps://doi.org/10.22501/koncon.1420396
published inKC Research Portal
portal issue1. Master Research Projects


Copyrights

nameKC-logo_en
copyrightKoninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespicture
nameAllegretto global
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespicture
name1 allegretto andré
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespicture
name2 Langsam global
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespicture
name2 Langsam andré
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespicture
name3 Agitato global
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespicture
name3 Agitato andré
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespicture
nametable grades per technique
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespicture
nameBeneficial effects
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespicture
nameKonstantin Sergejewitsch Stanislawski
copyrightBundesarchiv, Bild 183-18073-0003
licenseCC BY-SA
usagespicture
nameKonstantin Stanislavski in 1938
copyrightActing ed. Toby Cole
licensePublic domain
usagespicture
nameGiven circumstances blank
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespdf
nameimagination blank
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespdf
nameEmotions blank
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespdf
name"An Actor Prepares": relation of main concepts
copyrightAndré Emanuel Fialho Caldeira Teixeira
licenseAll rights reserved
usagespicture
namecurved arrow
copyrightNo copyright
licensePublic domain
usagespicture

Comments are only available for registered users.