Performing Music Inspired by Visual Art: Interpreting G. Silvestrini’s Six Études pour Hautbois through the Impressionist paintings that inspired them

Zoë Loxley Slump

This research explores the intersection of music and visual art through the lens of Gilles Silvestrini’s Six Études pour Hautbois and the Impressionist paintings that inspired them. By critically analysing existing studies, interviews, and articles, this study identifies five key techniques composers and performers may use to translate visual elements into music. These approaches not only deepen the understanding of Silvestrini’s work but also offer performers a structured framework for interpretation. This theoretical framework formed the starting point for experimentation and reflection both in the practice studio and with live audiences. This process challenges conventional classical performance practices by examining the balance between a composer’s intent and a performer’s interpretative autonomy. While Silvestrini does not explicitly prescribe a connection between the études and their corresponding paintings, this study argues that performers should embrace their own interpretative choices, enriching both the performance and the audience experience.

Title

Introduction

Literature Review and Theorisation

Personal Interpretation and Experimentation Journal

Applying Interpretive Experimentation in Performance

Discussion and Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendices

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Performing Music Inspired by Visual Art:

Interpreting G. Silvestrini’s Six Études pour Hautbois through the Impressionist paintings that inspired them

How can an understanding of the connections between G. Silvestrini’s Six Études pour Hautbois and the Impressionist paintings that inspired them impact interpretation and performance?

Many composers throughout history have drawn inspiration from visual arts in its many forms, and performers have also been known to connect music to visual aids or present it in interdisciplinary forms. This research considers how an understanding of the connections between G. Silvestrini’s Six Études pour Hautbois and the Impressionist paintings that inspired them can impact interpretation and performance. The goal is to build a personal understanding of this music and develop a mode of presentation that celebrates Six Études pour Hautbois and its corresponding paintings.

Gilles Silvestrini was born in a small commune in eastern France called Givey, in 1961 (Chinen, 2019). He now lives in Paris, working as an oboist and composer. Six Études pour Hautbois (1997) was inspired by six Impressionist paintings by well-known artists. Of the six, only one is on public display, Hôtel des Roches noires à Trouville, created by Claude Monet in 1870, which hangs in the Musee d’Orsay. Alongside a

second Monet, the remaining works were painted by Camille Pissarro, Auguste Renoir, Eugène Bodin, and Edouard Manet. The pieces inspired by these paintings have become standard repertoire for advanced oboists, and are often played in competitions, auditions, and examinations. Although titled ‘études,’ they are generally considered as concert pieces, especially Hôtel des Roches noires à Trouville and Le ballet espagnol (Chinen, 2019; Manet, 1862).

I have already spent some years studying these pieces, and have performed them regularly. They remain a fascination for me, especially as they are among the most famous contemporary pieces for solo oboe, and epitomise virtuosic writing which demonstrates the capacity and beauty of the instrument. I am also a visual artist and have completed studies in the field which have motivated me to combine my interests and explore interdisciplinary research and art making. This research has developed my interpretation of Six Études pour Hautbois and my connection to the Impressionist paintings via a process of theorisation and experimentation.

Through a comparative analysis of three key sources, this study develops a framework for the approaches undertaken by composers and performers to translate visual art into musical material. This framework is then applied in experimentation with my instinctive interpretations and guidance from oboe professors to develop performances of Six Études pour Hautbois. Reflections are collected through a continuous interpretation and experimentation journal, and these have been tested through four performance experiments. These experiments were conducted in different environments for different audiences, leading to a sub-investigation into how Six Études pour Hautbois and its corresponding paintings can be presented for the most effective performance.

Fig. 1 Hôtel des Roches noires à Trouville, Claude Monet (1870)

Fig. 2 Potager et arbres en fleurs, Printemps, Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1877)

Fig. 3 Boulevard des Capucines, Claude Monet (1873)

Fig. 4 Sentier dans les bois, Auguste Renoir (1874)

Fig. 5 Scène de plage - Ciel d'orage, Eugène Boudin (1864)

Fig. 6 Le ballet espagnol, Edouard Manet (1862)

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