Exposition

To know or not to know (2023)

Natasja Douma
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Research question How will biographical, historical and analytical knowledge affect my interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s cello sonata and can this relationship be made audible? In what way does background information, such as analysis help me to shape my view on a piece and will a more thorough research really make a difference in my performance practise? Summary of Results To investigate this, I have chosen a piece that is definitely one of my favourite pieces of music, the cello sonata by Sergei Rachmaninoff. I decided to gain information from different angles to determine what did or did not have an effect on my interpretation of the sonata. I looked at the biographical context, what was his life like around the time that he wrote this sonata? I have been reading about the Russian School, to learn more about the traditions of Russian piano playing. One other aspect was listening to Rachmaninoff playing his own compositions. I listened to recordings of the sonata by different people and I have been talking to colleagues about Rachmaninoff and more specific the sonata. I also made an analysis and studied the manuscript. The analysis in particular provided a sometimes different, but above all much more conscious interpretation. Gaining knowledge from so many different angles definitely provided an extra layer and the entire journey showed without a doubt that knowledge changed my interpretation. In my research catalogue you can read about my findings and experiences. Biography Natasja Douma received her first piano lessons from her grandmother, the concert pianist Roeli Schijf-Verhoog. She continued her studies at the School for Young Talent at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague with Jan Boumans and Marcel Baudet. In 1989 she started her higher music education studies with the well-known Dutch pianist Jan Wijn at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she obtained the Teaching Musician and Performing Musician diplomas. Afterwards, Natasja pursued further studies in the field of song accompaniment with Rudolf Jansen, which she completed with distinction in September 2000. In June 2022, Natasja hopes to obtain her Master’s Degree, including an extensive artistic research project focused on the Cello Sonata by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Natasja won the SJMN (Stichting Jong Muziektalent Nederland) competition twice. She also won second prize at the Competition for the European Music Prize in Antwerp. In 2013, together with violinist Isobel Warmelink, she won the NTR prize for the best performance of the compulsory work (Music minus one or two by Guus Janssen) during the Davina van Wely national violin competition. Natasja is a much sought-after duo partner, chamber musician and accompanist, who performs frequently in the Netherlands and internationally in France, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg. Since 1998, she works as a coach pianist at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, where she has coached and supported many young artists on their way to become professional musicians.
typeresearch exposition
date14/09/2020
published13/07/2023
last modified13/07/2023
statuslimited publication
share statusshared in portal(s):
copyrightNatasja Douma
licensePublic domain
languageEnglish
urlhttps://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/989520/1559878
published inKC Research Portal
portal issue3. Internal publication


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989602 Rachmaninoff cello sonate Google Public domain
989609 rachmaninoffs-depressie-2 Google Public domain
989611 Rachmaninoff Google Public domain
989613 800px-Rachmaninoff_playing_Steinway_grand_piano Google Public domain
1109173 Rach 1 Google Public domain
1109176 Rach 2 Google Public domain
1109178 Rach 3 Google Public domain
1109181 Rach 4 Google Public domain
1109184 Rach 5 Google Public domain
1109186 Rach 6 Google Public domain
1109190 Rach 7 Google Public domain
1109193 Rach 8 Google Public domain
1109195 Rach 9 Google Public domain
1109198 Rach 10 Google Public domain
1109237 Manuscript 1 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1109238 Manuscript 2 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1109349 Rach 11 Google Public domain
1109351 Rach 12 Google Public domain
1109352 Rach 13 Google Public domain
1109353 Rach 14 Google Public domain
1109457 Manuscript 3 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1110034 cd cover 1 Google Public domain
1110035 cover 2 Google Public domain
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1110037 cd cover 4 Google Public domain
1110039 cd cover 6 Google Public domain
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1110046 cd cover 5 Google Public domain
1110112 cd cover 6 Google Public domain
1110117 cd cover 7 Google Public domain
1110230 research Google Public domain
1399350 Angelus Novus Wikipedia Public domain
1460469 IMG_0325 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1460492 IMG_0325 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521505 Manuscript 1 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521519 manus 2 ND All rights reserved
1521521 Manus 3 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521522 Manus 4 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521523 Manus 5 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521524 Manus 6 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521525 Manus 7 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521526 IMG_0338 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521527 Manus 9 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521532 Manus 10 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521671 Manus 8 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521771 Manus 11 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521792 Manus 12 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521793 Manus 13 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521807 Manus 14 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521808 Manus 15 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521809 IMG_0347 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521940 Manus 16 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521951 IMG_0362 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1521978 Manus 17 Glinka Museum Moskou All rights reserved
1557784 Rachmaninoff playing Google Public domain
1557790 Abram-Chasins Google Public domain
1557816 Rachmaninoff hat ND All rights reserved
1557822 rachmaninoff achter piano ND All rights reserved
1557826 tenuto ND All rights reserved
1557861 Nelson Freira Google Public domain
1559588 Anton en Nikolai Rubinstein Google Public domain
1559605 Nikolai Zverev Google Public domain
1560843 Lucia Swarts Google Public domain
1573871 deel 1 ND All rights reserved
1573873 deel 2 ND All rights reserved
1573876 deel 3 ND All rights reserved
1573878 deel 4 ND All rights reserved
1574199 94AA46DE-47C1-40B8-9E00-2B316D15B097 Google Public domain
1577274 Rach destroyed keyboard Google Public domain
1577277 B3405792-9967-40F7-88C9-E355EBA68FCB Google Public domain
1590147 Analysis second movement ND All rights reserved
1590159 Analysis third movement ND All rights reserved
1590177 Analysis first movement ND All rights reserved
1590191 Analysis fourth movement ND All rights reserved
1590419 Concert Google Public domain
1612866 Vladimir_Ashkenazy Petr Novák, Wikipedia CC BY
1612876 390px-Bella_Davidovich_1966 Nationaal Archief CC BY
1612881 Stephen hough Door THD3 - Eigen werk, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13046475 CC BY
1612882 Feodor_Chaliapin_signed Wikipedia Public domain
1612915 series-great-composerssergey-vasilyevich-rakhmaninov-600w-1443645650 Shutterstock.com Public domain
1613941 Marlies van Gent Natasja Douma Public domain
1613955 Lucia Swarts Natasja Douma Public domain
1616840 Series Great Composerssergey Vasilyevich Rakhmaninov Hereditary Stock Illustration 1443645650 Shutterstock Shutterstock.com Public domain
1632128 4th movement Natasja Douma Public domain
1632137 2nd movement Natasja Douma Public domain
1632147 Reprise manuscript Natasja Douma Public domain
1632153 4th movement 2nd theme Natasja Douma Public domain
1635222 vraagteken Microsoft bing Public domain
1644812 Cd 1 Natasja Douma Public domain
1644813 Cd 2 Natasja Douma Public domain
1644814 Cd 3 Natasja Douma Public domain
1644818 Cd 4 Natasja Douma Public domain
1644820 Cd 5 Natasja Douma Public domain
1644822 Cd 6 Natasja Douma Public domain
1650968 8B299BBC-C8C9-4BEB-BAC2-327885B6EE87 Natasja Douma Public domain

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