Improvisation on Chordal Instruments in 17th-Century Italy

自20世纪20年代以来，人们一直对前古典音乐着迷；近几十年来，“早期音乐”变得非常流行，人们用早期重建的乐器演奏具有历史意义的音乐。留给我们的许多前古典音乐更多的是草图而不是文字文本，这与今天爵士曲调的简单写法没有什么不同；就像爵士表演者一样，古代的音乐家也精通即兴演奏的技巧，这使他们能够把草图变成个人的、富有创造力的表演。虽然有16世纪和17世纪的理论论文留给我们，但当时的即兴表演还有很多需要理解的地方；与过去音乐家成熟的即兴演奏相比，现在的早期音乐家只触及了表面。我的研究项目旨在复兴被忽视的17世纪风格的即兴创作艺术，并将其重新建立为演奏这种音乐的一个组成部分，创造音乐体验，使公众参与到现场音乐创作所产生的激动人心的音乐体验中。这将为古典音乐会增加一种独特的、更非正式的维度，并为早期音乐家带来新的、令人兴奋的挑战。各种类型的早期即兴演奏，特别是在和弦乐器上，将被研究：持续低音（以小品形式写成的伴奏系统），合奏即兴演奏，以及即兴演奏托卡塔和前奏曲的技巧（涉及即兴创作的流派）。将回顾历史论文、教学材料和文献证据，但我也将研究音乐本身的许多实际线索，如伴奏片段、演奏者在表演中使用的部分和模仿即兴技巧的作品。当像我这样经验丰富的演奏家看到这些实用的资源时，可以提供对音乐的见解，而这些见解并不总是通过更传统的研究收集到的。我将在伯明翰大学接受这项奖学金，在那里我是一名兼职的客座琵琶导师，为其早期音乐表演和研究中心。独特的格洛丽亚·罗斯收藏了关于17世纪即兴合奏和持续低音的重要研究材料，被遗赠给了该大学；我的目标是继续罗斯未完成的研究。我的研究成果将是实用的和学术的。我将创建一个创新的合奏团，本质上是一个“早期音乐大乐队”，致力于实验、表演和推广具有历史背景的即兴艺术。合奏团将通过定期排练来磨练技巧；演出将与研讨会联系在一起，学生将从与经验丰富的专业人士的学习中受益。我将发起一个包括器乐和声乐的系列音乐会（与工作坊联系在一起），以17世纪意大利的即兴和弦为主题。伦敦南岸中心（South Bank Centre）等机构已经表示有兴趣在那里建立一个空间，展示我的即兴合奏，以展示不太正式的前古典音乐表演风格。我的目标是为早期音乐学生和专业人士编写和出版一本急需的手册；以练习本的形式呈现，它将带玩家系统地了解16世纪和17世纪的即兴风格，文艺复兴时期的实践理论和团体即兴表演，并使用当时的分级音乐示例。我将使用和测试我在研究中发现的实用教育技术、练习和例子，为我的学生提供更广泛的知识基础，培养更自信、更独立的表演者和研究人员，他们将即兴创作视为音乐创作中令人兴奋和重要的一部分。我的研究成果将通过手册、文章出版、cd和讲座示范等方式传播。

Since the 1920s there has been a fascination with pre-classical music; in recent decades 'early music' has become incredibly popular, with historically-informed performances on reconstructed instruments from earlier times. Much pre-classical music left to us is more a sketch than a literal text, not unlike the simple way a jazz tune is written down today; like jazz performers, musicians of old would have been well-versed in improvisational techniques, enabling them to take the sketch and turn it into a personal and inventive performance. While there are 16th- and 17th-century theoretical treatises left to us, there is still much to be understood about extemporization at that time; in comparison with the sophisticated extemporization of musicians in the past, present-day early musicians only scratch the surface.My research project aims to revive the neglected art of improvising in 17th-century styles and re-establish it as an integral part of performing this music, creating musical experiences which involve the public in the breathtaking excitement generated by the creation of music on the spot. This would add a unique and more informal dimension to classical music concerts, and present new, exhilarating challenges to early musicians. Various types of early extemporisation, particularly on chordal instruments, will be investigated: basso continuo (a system of accompaniment written in sketch form), ensemble improvisation, and techniques for improvising toccatas and preludes (genres which involved improvisation). Historical treatises, didactic material and documentary evidence will be reviewed, but I will also examine many of the practical clues in the music itself such as accompanimental fragments, parts used by players in performance, and pieces that imitate improvising techniques. These practical sources, when viewed by an experienced performer like myself, can provide insight into the music not always gleaned through more traditional research. I shall undertake this fellowship at the University of Birmingham, where I am a part-time Visiting Lute Tutor for its Centre for Early Music Performance and Research. The unique Gloria Rose Collection of important research materials on 17th-century improvising ensembles and basso continuo was bequeathed to the University; my aim is to carry on Rose's unfinished research.The outcomes of my research will be both practical and scholarly. I will create an innovative ensemble, essentially an 'early music big band' dedicated to experimentation, performance and promotion of the art of historically-informed extemporization. The ensemble will hone its skills through regular rehearsals; performances will be linked to workshops where students will benefit from learning with seasoned professionals. I shall launch a concert series (linked with workshops) including both instrumental and vocal music, with chordal improvisation in 17th-century Italy as its theme. London's South Bank Centre, amongst others, has already expressed an interest in presenting my improvising ensemble in a space being established there to showcase less formal performance styles of pre-classical music. I aim to write and publish a much-needed manual for both early music students and professionals; presented in workbook form, it will take a player systematically through 16th- and 17th-century improvisation styles, practical Renaissance theory and group extemporization using graded musical examples from the time. I will use and test the practical educational techniques, exercises and examples I find in my research to provide my students with a broader foundation of knowledge and produce more confident and independent performers and researchers who will see improvisation as an exciting and important part of their music making. My research findings will be disseminated through the manual, the publication of articles, CDs' and lecture-demonstrations.