The Research and Development of an Italian 17th-Century Style Improvising Ensemble

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Since the early 20th century there has been a fascination with pre-classical music; in the last fifty years this 'early music' movement has become incredibly popular, with a wealth of historically-informed performances on reconstructed instruments from earlier eras. Much of the pre-classical music left to us is more a framework than a literal text, similar to the kinds of sketches used in jazz, generally containing a melody in a very simple version with suggested harmonies. From this skeleton the musicians, equipped with well-honed improvisation skills, will embellish the sketch into a sophisticated and personal performance. As the standards of early music performance continue to rise and become more adventurous, performers are now ready to take their expertise to another level by refining their improvising skills to transform their sketches into virtuosic performances and realise the full potential of this rich repertoire. As an AHRC Fellow in the Creative and Performing Arts, one aspect of my research project centres around the unusual and often complex forms of improvisation, particularly on chordal instruments, that were commonplace in Italy in the 17th century. Ensembles of long-necked lutes, harpsichords, violins, and 'cornetti' would participate in church feast-day celebrations where they would create group extemporisations which contemporaries described as heavenly music on earth. Through my research project I aim to revive this art by establishing an ensemble, essentially an 'early music big band', devoted to experimentation, performance and promotion of rarely-attempted forms of early improvisation. Early music is one of the only areas of classical music which has a built-in element for improvisation, and yet most modern-day practitioners have only just scratched the surface of what is possible. I aim to redress the balance by creating musical experiences on the classical music platform which involve the public in the exhilaration created by the invention of music on the spot. The notion of an entire ensemble improvising simultaneously within an intricate set of boundaries is both astonishing and exciting. Our starting point will be theoretical materials on extemporization left to us from the 16th and 17th centuries coupled with analysis of early 17th-century Italian music which imitates improvised music. Our scholarly findings will be used to inspire our practical music-making. There will be no 'cross-over' or 'fusion' here: while we may take advice from modern improvisers on how to structure our practising and ensemble skills, we shall not be relying on folk, 'world', or jazz musicians to provide the improvisation for us, which can often be the case in groups which feature early extemporization. This project captured the imagination of Marshall Marcus, Head of Music at London's Southbank Centre, who is devoted to promoting improvisation in classical music spheres. He has proposed an Early Music Improvisation Weekend in October 2009 which will feature more sophisticated forms of early extemporization; my ensemble will be a focal point of the weekend, presenting an open rehearsal, concert, and improvisation workshop open to the general public. The ensemble will consist of high-calibre musicians who have been hand-picked for their experience and improvisation skills. We shall undertake an extensive period of research and development to prepare for this groundbreaking event. Our rehearsals will be filmed in order to present a documentary which records our process in the foyer of the Centre during the weekend. I aim to secure other concerts and workshops for the ensemble around this time in order to reach a wider public and provide the opportunity for us to further hone our skills. I also intend to record our rehearsals and concerts professionally in the hope of producing a self-financed commercial CD of our best extemporized material over this period.