The Hell Harp of Hieronymus Bosch. The building of an experimental musical instrument, and a critical account of an experience of a community of musicians. (04/07/2019)
1.front picture hell harp3Front picture from the thesis, Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, Museo del Prado, Madrid, detail of the Harp, third panel (Hell).
Independent Project (Degree Project), 30 higher education credits
Master of Fine Arts in Music, with specialization in Improvisation Performance
ABSTRACT
Taking a detail from Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden Of Earthly Delights as a point of departure, an instrument is built for a musical performance act deeply involving the body of the musician. The process from idea to performance is recorded and described as a compositional and improvisational process. Experimental musical instrument (EMI) building is discussed from its mythological and sociological significance, and from autoethnographical case studies of processes of invention. The writer’s experience of 30 years in the free improvisation and new music community, and some basic concepts: EMIs, EMI maker, musician, composition, improvisation, music and instrument, are analyzed and criticized, in the community as well as in the writer’s
