Ex Chordis - A Bowed Strings Journal is an open access and peer-reviewed ANVUR accredited scientific Journal, edited by the Department of String Instruments - 'N. Piccinni' Conservatory of Music, Bari, and published by Milano University Press. The Journal promotes papers on key topics for bowed string players, providing new insights from different research fields.
Il Violino, ossia analisi del suo meccanismo
Eusebio Dworzak von Walden (1850-1905), born in Braila, Romania, the son of the Austrian consul in Patras, first studied in Delphi and then graduated from the Leipzig Conservatory under Ferdinand David. After a period of teaching at the Leipzig Conservatory, he moved to Naples in the 1980s, becoming head of the Violin and Viola Department at the S. Pietro a Maiella Conservatory and one of its most important teachers. A Neapolitan schoolmaster, he boasts among his pupils Gaetano Fusella (1876-1973), Alfredo D'Ambrosio (1871-1915), Luigi D'Ambrosio (1885-1972), some of the most important names of the Neapolitan Violin School, as recalled in Pasquali-Principe's Manuale di cultura e didattica violinistica (1926): ‘from his school came pupils who also emerged for their violinistic and didactic qualities’.
Copyright (c) 2024 Eusebio Dworzak von Walden, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
In 1970, the musicologist Remo Giazotto discovered the existence of the will of the violinist Carlo Mannelli (1640-1697): this discovery had a certain resonance since, until then, very little information existed about Mannelli. The present article aims to deepen our knowledge of the Roman violinist. In particular, an analysis of the musical and historical context of his Sinfonia a violino solo e basso continuo highlights some stylistic peculiarities concerning extemporaneous ornamentation, bow dynamics and rhythm.
Copyright (c) 2024 Nella Nero https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Vincenzo de Meglio, Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano op. 144 on the Opera Rigoletto. Musical Context and Analysis
Vincenzo de Meglio, pianist and composer, was born in Naples on 9 April 1825. Many of his works were published by Casa Ricordi, confirming that he enjoyed a certain popularity at the time. Vincenzo de Meglio, whose catalogue includes more than 260 titles, often included translations for violin, cello and piano of operas among his works. Transcriptions, elaborations and fantasias for violin, with or without piano accompaniment, often with a strong virtuosic connotation, are part of this editorial strand. The Trio on Giuseppe Verdi's Opera ‘Rigoletto’, for piano, violin and cello, op. 144, was published by G. Ricordi & C. The cover bears the dedication ‘All'Egregio Artista Ferdinando Pinto’. The occasion for the composition is not known, but from reports in the periodical ‘Napoli Musicale’ the composition would date back to 1872. The Trio is, to all intents and purposes, a fantasy on famous themes: the choice and presentation of the same themes is not placed in the order in which they are presented in the original score, but in a panel elaboration.
Copyright (c) 2024 Annalisa Andriani https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Francesco Attardi, Lorenzo Casati, Ottorino Respighi. A Symphonic Iceberg, LIM, Lucca 2024
Ottorino Respighi. A symphonic iceberg by Francesco Attardi and Lorenzo Casati is a wide-ranging, valuable monograph recently published by LIM that aims to bring to light the great, submerged symphonic heritage of Ottorino Respighi (Bologna, 1879 - Rome, 1936), too often neglected by sector critics, seeking to reveal the composer's many human and artistic aspects in order to rediscover, and re-evaluate the face of the symphonist Respighi, author not only of the very famous triptych Fountains, Festivals and Pines of Rome, but also of over forty compositions for orchestra, and for soloist and orchestra, of a high standard, carefully presented in the Appendix in the catalogue edited by Floriana Pedarra - founder of the Centre for Respighi Studies in Milan - on the guidance of the musicological research carried out by her father, Potito Pedarra.
Copyright (c) 2024 Adele Boghetich https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Affinity of Thought between Giacinto Scelsi and André Jolivet within the Context of Musical Societies and Esoteric Circles in 1930s Paris
The 1930s marked the transition from youth to maturity for both Scelsi and Jolivet, a crucial period both personally and artistically. At that time, Paris was a center of great musical activity, with numerous musical societies initially focused on promoting French music, but later opening up to international musical experiences. In a political context marked by the rise of nationalism, Scelsi and Jolivet opposed these trends by actively participating in the organization of concerts to spread contemporary music. Additionally, the cultural climate in Paris was also characterized by a growing interest in esotericism. Although their paths were parallel, these shared influences played a key role in shaping their human and musical development. The article focuses particularly on comparing the theoretical writings of Scelsi and Jolivet, analyzing their texts to highlight the similarities and differences in their musical approaches. This study provides a theoretical foundation for future research on the compositions of the two composers and their shared interest in a musical language distinct from dodecaphony, with a focus on the exploration of sound material.
Copyright (c) 2024 Alessandra Montali https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
In Human Memories. Technology, Creativity and Self-Determination: an Ethical Proposal
This research investigates the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern compositional practices, with a particular focus on two case studies: Convergence (2020/21) by Alexander Schubert, for String Ensemble and AI System, and In Human Memories (2024) by Francesco Vitucci, for four cellos and one electroacoustic player, whose installation was created by the Electronic Music Scholl of the "N. Piccinni" Conservatory of Bari. The initial historical survey traces the evolving use of technology in composition, revealing how the search for new expressive possibilities has driven the development of technological tools through experimentation. The appearance of AI marks a fundamental shift: no longer just a tool, AI now poses questions and challenges to the composer. Engaging with AI becomes an exploration of an unknown entity, whose full capabilities are still largely undiscovered. This new interaction leads composers to confront AI not merely as a passive resource but as a participant in the creative process, outlining an ethical path to reclaim technology as a creative tool. In Human Memories reflects this dynamic, demonstrating how AI can serve as both inspiration and a driving force in shaping contemporary music.
Copyright (c) 2024 Francesco Vitucci, Giuseppe Silvi, Francesco Abbrescia, Anthony Di Furia, Francesco Scagliola https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber's Passacaglia: between Form and Content
The analysis of historical sources and the study of the social context provide clues to both formal solutions like the structure of a piece, and also to the philosophical attitude of the time. This article aims to suggest an interpretation of formal elements found in the Passacaglia for solo violin from the Rosary Sonatas by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, in conjunction with the ‘carnal‘ physicality of the experience suggested by the Jesuit philosophy of 17th-century Salzburg. An intellectual awareness on one hand (analytical thinking) will therefore be flanked by an emotional/experiential awareness on the other (analogical thinking). In particular, the value of the number 10 within Biber‘s piece will be analysed, highlighting the structural and experiential logic of the compositional structure of the Passacaglia. The numerological approach intends to explain the structure of the piece and to be a stimulus to arrive at a performance that is more aware of historical processes, of the spatial/temporal journey experienced during the performance, and the communicative impact inherent in a rhetorically-informed performance. This article aims to invite the reader to consider similar methodologies to baroque music in general.
Copyright (c) 2024 Davide Monti https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Ercole Folegatti, born in Ferrara, was a member of the Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna, Honorary Professor of Violin at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and an honorary member of the Circolo Promotore Partenopeo "Giambattista Vico" in Naples. In his two volumes, Folegatti strictly adheres to the technical and instrumental rules outlined in the methods of Francesco Galeazzi (1758-1819) and Bartolomeo Campagnoli (1751-1827). This partially limits the originality of the work. However, the second volume ⎻ which covers quartets, orchestras, chamber ensembles, and conductors ⎻ is much more interesting, revealing important aspects of the Italian musical scene of the time. From this perspective, the absolute dominance of opera hindered the growth of instrumental music, negatively affecting the quality of performers and orchestras. Instrumental chamber music, therefore, seems to have almost entirely disappeared, surviving thanks to the dedication of musicians who, despite difficulties, managed to organize ensembles, venues for chamber music, societies to promote string quartets, and chamber music competitions, also inviting renowned foreign artists to perform in Italy.
Copyright (c) 2024 Ercole Folegatti https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
New Horizons of Artistic Practice and Research in Performance. The Analytical-Performative Intercultural and Co-Creative Approach of the Re-Orient Project: the Case Studies of J. Charpentier's 72 Carnatic Studies and A. Ginastera's Argentine Dances
This article presents the methodological development of the analytical-performative model adopted in the artistic research of pianist and researcher G. Caruso on the 72 Etudes Karnatiques for piano by Jacques Charpentier (1933-2017). This method was extended to other repertoires, like the Danzas Argentinas by Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983), in the artistic project "Re-Orient" thanks to the collaboration with percussionist and researcher F. Magarò. In this research, the creative aspects of interpretation and performance are combined with a precise historical-stylistic analysis of the score. The performative analysis was enriched by Magarò’s application of Solkattu (a system of vocalization and theoretical organization of the Carnatic tradition) as a lens for extrapolating and interpreting the internal structure (rhythmic or scale) of each study. During a collaborative performance practice, the two researchers identified the Indian music rhythmic and melodic patterns used and elaborated by Charpentier in his piano score. The semantics of the Arab-carnatic model was then applied to also extrapolate the typical formulas of the Agentinian local dances present in the score of Ginastera (Malambo and Chacarera). This collaborative artistic practice led to a co-creative process in which the notation served as a bridge between "cultured" and "popular" music (i.e., "extraculta" European). The result has not only culminated in the realization of a co-creative artistic project, but also in a coherent analytical-performative model transferable to other repertoires. The analytical-performative model was efficient in highlighting the rhythmic and melodic elements of two different musical traditions, the Carnatic and the Argentine, and supported the hypothesis of extracultural musical elements as a metalinguistic discourse. The result of this embodied practice validates the thesis of bi-musicality (or rather, Intermusability). This means that the acquisition of competencies and performative skills by scholars and musicians can be taken from the artistic practice of different musical systems.
Copyright (c) 2024 Francesco Magarò, Giusy Caruso https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Introduction to the Works for Violin and Piano by Franco Margola: Music Analysis of Sonata dC12
Franco Margola (1908-1992) is still unanimously remembered as a talented composer and teacher. He uses a free musical language that links many elements: respect for tonality, the use of polytonality and a-tonalism, timid approaches to dodecaphony, and adherence to neoclassical instances. Margola’s music is «modern but not futuristic, cultured but not cerebral» (O. de Carli), and helps to fill a cultural void otherwise left by the modern avant-garde. It fully responds to the tastes of a public that wants to listen to the modern but does not want to abandon tradition or disown the past. The path here proposed would analyse Margola’s Violin production through the Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 dC 12. From a methodological point of view, it was necessary to directly analyse the score and different documentary sources: newspaper, reviews, essays, unpublished scores. The aim is to highlight the ways in which Margola gave an ancient form to new content, played an important role in updating the teaching of the Violin in Italian Conservatories of Music, and offered future musicians a possible way to understand the deep structure of music and the complex relationship between past and present.
Copyright (c) 2024 Sharon Tomaselli https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Composing for Cello: the Experience of Light in Timbre
This article approaches the compositional process of the piece The Shimmer Beneath: A Scattering Attempt, for cello duo with amplification (2019). This research is part of my doctoral thesis The Composition of Timbre: A Multidimensional Approach (University of Leeds, 2021), in which I approach the timbral complexity from the possible correlations between its semantics and physicality. Here I focus on the study of luminance as one of the semantic dimensions of timbre, presenting different perspectives from psychoacoustics to contemporary repertoire for bowed strings. The compositional methodology includes the development of a scale for measuring the amount and intensity of light perceived in a series of cello techniques and their corresponding timbral qualitative descriptors. These technical explorations are spectrally analyzed to identify their timbral content and structure. The cello techniques are the ‘device’ for the timbral formation and development of the piece, according to a conceptual reference related to the experience of light.
Copyright (c) 2024 ondano Florez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
About the Viceroyalty between the Seventies and the Nineteenth Centuries: Enthusiasmós, Leisures and Crafts from Naples to Abruzzo
Between the end of the Eighteenth Century and the first half of the Nineteenth, musical themes, dance and an explicit vitality populated most of the genre scenes regarding the Kingdom of Naples’ territories. The artists described enchanting places where almost everything seemed to be allowed. These motifs were often associated to images representing some capital’s squares or suburbs. These recurring subjets were differently interpreted in the various provinces of the Kingdom. Among the Neapolitan districts, the Abruzzo region was characterized by certain adverse conditions of his territory, marked by numerous earthquakes, and a special position between the sea and the mountains. For all these reasons, this place was included among the Grand Tour’s destinations: the travel reports emphasize an environment in which the folkloric episodes were marginal compared to the rural and naturalistic aspects. These contents are reflected inside the iconographic representations. Differently from events in Naples and some other Viceregal provinces, in Abruzzo places popular music occasions are often separated from every element associated to simple fun or licentiousness. Here rest moments and occasions related to wine had defined times and spaces. Although, in some cases, in the depicted subjects we can perceive a shy pulse toward joyful, all these themes are more often compared to the motives of work and rest, and therefore rather far from the contemporary Neapolitan idylls. During all these occurences, a particular importance was assigned to guitars, tamburines or other small rythmical instruments and, especially, to the violins. The comparison between the Neapolitan popular costumes and those of the Abruzzo province aims to better define some aspects related to the interactions between the Kingdom of Naples and the Viceroyalty domains in the last phase of the Modern Age.
Copyright (c) 2024 Francesca Cannella https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Julien Amable Mathieu and the Development of Violin Technique in the Mid-18th Century French Repertoire
Gallantry, understood as ‘Bon goût’, was a peculiarity of French music in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the 'gallant style' properly so called is what characterized most of the national music composed around the mid-1700s, in particular at Versailles. It stands out for its free compositional structure, complex but non-contrapuntal thematic designs, richness and complexity of embellishments, arpeggios and charming passing notes, for short, animated and sinuous melodic lines, and for a formal detachment from rhetoric of XVII century. Leading figure in the galant violin period was Julien Amable Mathieu. He was the first violin in the Vingt-Quatre Violons du Roi, symbol of music and magnificence during Louis XV and Louis XVI’s reign. Almost nothing was written about him, but he greatly contributed to the development of violin techniques and aesthetics, in line with L’Abbé Les Fils School concepts. His works were regularly performed during the Concerts de la Reine; so impressive that he deserved a specific coat of arms and a “Lettre de Noblesse” with wich he was awarded all the noble titles by Louis XVI. This work briefly reviews his life and his contribution to the spread of galant style and violin technique.
Copyright (c) 2024 Silvia Grasso https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The German Heritage of the Young Hindemith: Analysis of Viola Sonatas Op. 11 No. 4 and Op. 25 No. 1
This article aims to analyze the historical and musical context in which the young Hindemith, born in a period of political and social upheaval in Germany at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, embarked on the path that would eventually make him one of the most important musical figures of his time. Although still far from his full artistic maturity, we will explore a small part of his early years, during which the composer made perhaps the most radical change of his career. Hindemith embraced the innovations brought by the previous generation, opening his writing to profound reflections on form and the inclusive possibilities of tonality. From that period, specifically in 1919, we will see how in the Sonata Op. 11 No. 4 he began the gradual expansion of his linguistic conception, where he experimented with reshaping traditional forms, especially those of the German tradition; playing with few elements while simultaneously constructing a discourse of great expressive and compositional variety. Subsequently, in an era of great changes and artistic fervor like that of the 1920s and 1930s, the young composer found himself making choices that initially placed him among the composers adhering to the expressionist aesthetic, with Schönberg being the most prominent figure, which in a few years would lead to the theorization of twelve-tone technique. However, Hindemith soon abandoned the direction taken by the founder of the Second Viennese School to embark on a completely personal path: the “New Objectivity.”
Copyright (c) 2024 Antonio Gioia https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Renate Klöppel, Mental Training for Musicians
Copyright (c) 2024 Elena D'Amato https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Roberta Ruccia https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Biagio Putignano, Boîtes del merveilles, 3 Duos for Irvine Arditti
Copyright (c) 2024 Biagio Putignano https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Thomas Adès, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. Analysis, Pattern and Form of the First Movement
This paper will explore the first movement of Thomas Adès’ Concerto for Piano and Orchestra [2018], focusing on its harmonic, structural, and melodic components. The analysis will examine the unconventional treatment of harmonic patterns, including the circle of fifths, chromaticism, and the use of the (025) pitch class set. Additionally, the sonata form will be discussed, highlighting how Adès integrates and manipulates traditional elements within this framework. The study will also investigate Adès’ use of melodic sequences, particularly those based on intervals of the fifth and fourth, showing how they evolve throughout the movement. The overall goal is to demonstrate how Adès blends traditional techniques with modern innovation, creating a distinctive compositional style.
Copyright (c) 2024 SiHyun Uhm https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Fazil Say and Modern and Contemporary Turkish Music
At the beginning of the XX century, the new Turkish government led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk took interest in bringing innovation to the Turkish musical scene, jumpstarting a new wave of Turkish music that would fuse traditional elements with the Western compositional style. It is under this light that Fazil Say’s (1970-) music is to be considered: his compositions are windows into his country’s history and traditions, and in each and every one of them he finds new ways to evoke its sounds and sceneries, with and without the presence of actual traditional Turkish instruments. The goal of this work is to explore the history of Turkish music from the beginning of the XX century to the present day, and Fazil Say’s contribution as one of the greatest representatives of his country’s music, through an analysis of the form and structure of two of his compositions for the violin that fully encapsulate his compositional style: the first Sonata for violin and piano and Cleopatra for solo violin.
Copyright (c) 2024 Nicoletta Leone https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Antonio Stradivari: a Surmountable Myth?
Over the last 300 years, the name of Antonio Stradivari has been recognized as an excellence in the world of violin making, an expression of Italian genius in applied art. This myth has caused the prices of the few remaining instruments to rise, leaving the vast majority of concert performers without them. The research questions we will answer are: after so much time, what is the state of research on the original instruments? Will we ever be able to use our discoveries to produce, at reasonable costs, new instruments that replicate the same characteristics, and perhaps improve them? In other words, can the myth of Stradivari be overcome? We will start from the current analysis of the problem, addressing its economic, social and artistic implications. We will then examine the current state of the numerous researches already carried out on the instruments of the Great Cremonese and the discoveries now confirmed. Subsequently, we will examine the results of the studies on the construction techniques of Stradivari and we will indicate which experiments tend to demonstrate whether or not their acoustic qualities have already been surpassed by new instruments. Finally, after having examined the acoustic results offered by the new materials applied to both instruments and bows, we will dedicate a final look to a State School of violin making, an example of how a new generation of violin makers is already being formed today.
Copyright (c) 2024 Massimo de Bonfils https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Arvo Pärt and the Evolution of the Tintinnabuli Style in Violin Works. Tabula rasa (1977) and Fratres (1980)
This paper is a concise and updated version of my Bachelor’s Thesis, which explores Arvo Pärt’s primary violin compositions. After completing my Bachelor’s degree, my deep interest in the Estonian composer led me to attend the Arvo Pärt Days at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa, Estonia in 2022. Inspired by this immersive experience, I decided to revisit and expand upon my previous analysis of two specific violin pieces by Pärt: Tabula Rasa (1977) and Fratres (1980). I aim to increase the knowledge about Arvo Pärt without all the stereotypes linked to his music. Therefore, the study combines specificity and generality, offering insights that transcend the ordinary perceptions associated with Pärt’s music. Starting with an analysis of Pärt’s technique, I establish a foundation for understanding key concepts that will emerge in the subsequent analysis of Tabula Rasa and Fratres. As we explore these pieces, a thematic thread emerges, focusing on the violin’s role and its intricate interactions with different instruments. Arvo Pärt’s music is different from everything else: I hope to explain the deep reasons behind my passion for his work.
Copyright (c) 2023 Silvia Zeverino https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Chamber and Solo Works for Strings by Francesco Ricupero. The Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord
The aim of this paper is to analyze the Chamber and Solo works for Strings by Francesco Ricupero, a musician and composer from Naples who lived in the second half of the Eighteenth Century. Although little is known about his life, we possess a large number of his musical manuscripts. Studying and analyzing unknown manuscripts and compositions can be beneficial not only for expanding the repertoire of an instrument but also for reviving forgotten performance practices and hidden styles. Even if it is a secondary production by a forgotten composer in the history of music, it turns out to be very interesting, full of music ideas, and different from what was written and composed in Naples in the second half of the Eighteenth Century. This production deserves more attention and should be the subject of further studies, critical editions, and performances in modern times. Specifically, the Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord is the main focus of this paper. It is a unique piece composed of only two movements, which deviates from the solo repertoire of the time.
Copyright (c) 2023 Eugenio Poli https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Come, pretty babe, a consort song by William Byrd dealing with a sensitive issue
In England, during the last decades of the Sixteenth Century (in the middle of the Elizabethan Age), a popular type of music was the consort songs. These were music pieces for voice and consort of violas that William Byrd (c. 1540-1623) was particularly skilled at creating. One of Byrd’s unpublished songs was Come, pretty babe, which was quite controversial for its time because it dealt with the topic of illegitimate motherhood. The song is a lullaby where the mother shares with her little boy the pain and anguish of their difficult situation. This paper translates the literary text of the song into Italian and discusses its social context. Moreover, the paper provides a brief overview of Byrd’s consort songs and hypothesizes the reasons why Come, pretty babe was not published by the Britannicae Musicae Parens.
Copyright (c) 2023 Giambattista Bello https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Luigi Dallapiccola's 'New Antiquity'. Analysis of the Tartiniana Seconda MR58a
The aim of this paper is to analyse Tartiniana Seconda MR58a for violin and piano by Luigi Dallapiccola (1904-1975). The piece is on the topic of re-writing the instrumental Italian music, and it borrows its themes from the Sonata VII B.a1 by Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770). Moreover, both Dallapiccola and Tartini were born in the same land. Dallapiccola uses counterpoint and serial techniques to re-write the tartinian themes, creating a violin line that shares many virtuosities with the original Sonata VII, and a piano line that is not a simple accompaniment, but linked to the first one. Our analysis is inspired by Sandro Perotti and his research tips about re-writings; moreover, the form, canons, harmonic syntax and motivic elements are alnalysed, with some diagrams to resume the mathematical constructions of Dallapiccola’s writing.
Copyright (c) 2023 Irene Tripodi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Four Violins Ensemble as a tool for Violin Instrumental Teaching
The daily practice of violin teaching suggests that playing music together in an ensemble can bring significant benefits. This is particularly evident when considering the experience of a quartet of unaccompanied violins, a formation historically linked to traditional teaching methods. Such training allows for establishing comparisons, analogies, and positive challenges among group members, regardless of their instrumental skills. The performance of a violin quartet involves musical and social interactions among the performers, making the musical performance a typically collective activity. This leads us to reflect on the theoretical foundations supporting the idea that collective practice can support individual practice and the benefits that can arise, such as independence in the musical field and the development of self-regulation. In this context, this paper aims to guide the reader through the main fields of collective teaching, including the self-regulation cycle in effective practices, the principles of cognitive apprenticeship and cooperative learning, and the positive role of peer learning in a music ensemble. The ultimate aim is to deepen, in the educational field, the connections between collective and individual practice, exploring the potential impact of the violin quartet on individual violin practice.
Copyright (c) 2023 Alessandro Cazzato https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Leroy Jenkins, a violinist in the bass clef
Undisputed protagonist of the avant-garde in the A.A.C.M. sphere (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), the African-American violinist Leroy Jenkins (Chicago 1937 ⎻ New York 2007) is still a little-studied figure. In his work, he linked sacred music, blues, jazz, radical improvisation and European music. Musical materials that connect and collide, almost dramatizing the events of a life full of contradictions. The focus of this essay is an in-depth analytical study (where possible comparing different versions) of some tunes by Leroy Jenkins from which his very special focus on the bass line is evident; the pieces here analysed date from 1978 to 1992, a period in which part of his musical research concentrated on the potential of electric instruments. The tunes here analyzed are: Looking for the Blues; Through the Ages, Jehovah; Bird Eddie and Monk. However, we only have phonographical traces as text. So, for a musical analysis, we used two tools: transcription in traditional notation and formal diagrams. Therefore, the musical analysis shows: (i) how his thinking as a composer/improviser is not limited to his instrument; (ii) the pieces examined are all based on riffs or bass lines; (iii) moreover, their form is organised in ever-changing ways. Jenkins’ vision as a composer is evident, and the sound of his violin safely directs the flow of sound, yet the music remains extremely free, and this is perhaps the paradoxical essence of free jazz: the coexistence of anarchy and hierarchy.
Copyright (c) 2023 Carlo Cimino https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Study Perspectives of Musical Performance in Artistic Research
In the last twenty years, music performance analysis has been evolving from various perspectives. To the traditional ethnomusicological approach, oriented to non-European musical traditions, the recent performance studies have been led to investigate the creative process of music performance in Western music tradition. This causes the emergence of the performative turn and the artistic turn in music performance analysis and the origin of artistic research in music. But what are the approaches of music performance analysis specifically in relation to the research questions, objectives, methods and results of artistic research in music? This article offers an overview of the different approaches in the investigation of music performance in the context of artistic research in music, in particular methods for the music performance analysis of a written composition. By defining the path that determines the transformation of music practice into a research on music performance, divergences and convergences of the methodological approach in artistic research will be pointed out in comparison to the methodological approach in scientific research. Therefore, the objectives of artistic research in music and a mixed method (that integrates a performative analysis and empirical analysis) will be presented. The application of digital technology for the documentation and analysis of performers’ gestures will be a topic of discussion to bring out the potential of the dialogue between art, science and technology in the investigation of music performance analysis in artistic research.
Copyright (c) 2023 Giusy Caruso https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Copyright (c) 2023 Corrado Roselli https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0