Pijanistički i dirigentski međuteatar od koncertnoga podija do filmskoga medija
Authors:   , Tucaković Marijan 
Published: June 2021

The aim of this dissertation is to underline and analyse both performative and theatrical elements within the public perfomance of pianists and conductors. The application of the theatrical and perfomance studies analytical tools, most clearly establishes the thesis of the in-between theatre, present within the performance of the pianists and the conductors. The new hypothesis are presenting, determining, analysing and explaining the presence of both theatrical and performative elements, within the public performance of pianists and conductors. The first aspect of the dissertation is searching for the essence of the performative presentation in classical music. The research has evidence-based approach to the performance experiences and poetic definitions, as presented by the most eminent pianists and conductors. Numerous layers of performance definitions are presented and analysed, most commonly associated with the work of Denis Diderot and Konstantin Sergeievich Stanislavski. As the extension of both Diderot and Stanislavski, the applied theatre, integrated within the performance of both pianists and conductors, has been clearly identified and well defined. In order to document and analyse theatrical elements within the performance of pianists and conductors, numerous music reviews of non-musician writers have been also considered as relevant. The works of three most prominent Croatian writers ‒ Branko Gavella, Zvonimir Berković and Nedjeljko Fabrio ‒ have been taken into consideration. The focus was to identify both pianist and conductor as performers and not as reproductive artists only. The important elements being used while having both pianist and conductor identified as performers, primarily are stage presence, embodiment, performance behaviour and gestural score, following their artistic ideas and the individual technical realisation of the music score. Therefore, the meta-technical layer of performance has been detected, presented and analysed. The conclusion of the first aspect of this dissertation is clearly identified performance narrative within the piano recital or symphonic concert, named as the in-between theatre of both pianist and/or conductor. The second aspect of the research is based on interpretation of film scenes of piano recitals and symphony concerts. In order to define the research criteria, the genre and the type of music films are being determined. Firstly, the case studies of piano recitals and symphony concerts presented in fictional films and animated films have been done. The analysed concert scenes were taken from Hollywood made films Carnegie Hall (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1947) and An American in Paris (Vincente Minnelli, 1951), excerpts from Croatian films Borci za Hrvatsku (Fighters for Croatia, 1944) and Koncert (Concert, Branko Belan, 1954), as well as animated films The Cat Concerto (William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, 1947) and Hollywood Bowl (William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, 1950). Secondly, the similar case studies in documentary films have been done with the examples taken from films The Art of Conducting: Great Conductors of the Past (Sue Knussen, 1993) and The Art of Conducting: Legendary Conductors of a Golden Era (Peter R Smith, 1997); The Art of Piano: Great Pianists of the 20th Century (Donald Sturrock, 1999) and The Golden Age of Piano: A Documentary on the Great Pianists of the Twentieth Century (Peter Rosen, 1993); Herbert von Karajan – Maestro for the Screen (Georg Wübbolt, 2008) and Claudio Abbado: Hearing the Silence; Schetches for a Portrait (Paul Smaczny, 2005); Glenn Gould: The Alchemist (Bruno Monsaingeon, 1974), Evgeny Kissin: Gift of Music (Christopher Nupen, 1999) and Hellene Grimaud: Living with wolves (Reiner E. Moritz, 2002). The conclusion of the second aspect of the dissertation is presenting the analysis of the in-between theatre of pianists and conductors, all the way from the concert podium to the film medium, through the analyses of studio recitals and televised concerts.