bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unraveling Musical Relativity: Following in the Footsteps of 19th-century Conductors
Authors: Andreas Hansson
Published: September 2024

When listening to early orchestral recordings, we are immediately confronted with a musical reality far detached from our own. Many aspects of these recordings sound quite alien to modern listeners and performers alike. Yet, the same recordings are often remarkably expressive and display great freedom which breathes fresh life into works which we now sometimes tend to take for granted. This expressiveness and freedom seems to a great degree to stem from a very different, more fluent, concept of musical time. In this research I wanted to understand these recordings better, to see what can be learned from them and how it can be applied in modern practice. I asked the question: how can analyses of recordings by Felix Weingartner, Willem Mengelberg and Pierre Monteux aid the use of 19th-century stylistic traits in modern orchestral performance practices? This research question was answered by first conducting detailed quantitative analysis on unnotated use of tempo flexibility and portamento on recordings made by these conductors. This was followed by an experimental practice-based phase where these findings were applied.
The most striking finding of my analyses is the ways in which all three conductors used un-notated tempo flexibility. Using the structuralist and rhetorical terminology of Nicholas Cook (2013), in slightly altered form, their interpretations all exhibit rhetorical tendencies, with Weingartner being the most structuralist, Mengelberg the most rhetorical, and Monteux somewhere in the middle. Additionally, several concrete style elements connected to the use of unnotated tempo flexibility were identified, internalized, and applied in the practice-based phase.
Having engaged deeply with the interpretations of these three conductors, I now feel freer to make my own interpretations without feeling restricted by traditions or modern performance practices. Most importantly, this takes the form of my increased use of un-notated tempo flexibility as an expressive tool.
Catch and Release: Field Recordings as Source for Instrumental Composition
Authors: Yvonne Freckmann
Published: September 2024

The richness and variety of sound in field recordings has inspired numerous electro-acoustic and soundscape compositions, but what about the traditional composition realm? Is there a way to translate for and combine soundscapes with another medium? “How can field recordings be used as a source for instrumental compositions?” is the main research question under investigation here, which developed out of my creative pursuits in composing for instruments and field recordings. The first method I personally applied was to transcribe a field recording by ear for a mixed ensemble for Train, which simultaneously played the transcription with the original audio. The process and results of this piece prompted me to think and read more about mimesis in music, and how the two worlds of electro-acoustic/soundscape and instrumental music can combine. This research paper contains a short introduction to the historical context of mimesis in music (vocal/instrumental and electro-acoustic) to provide the connection of current trends to the past. To investigate the main approaches I proceeded to analyze and categorize music of field recordings with instruments. Using these analysis tools and categories, I investigated examples within roughly the past sixty years of pieces that use field recordings as source for instrumental music, be it for transcription, score, background, or for live interaction. The research results are detailed in four chapters, “Analysis Tools”, “Five Categories”, and two chapters on original compositions. The concepts of place and live versus pre-recorded sound were interesting to investigate as well.
Rethinking the traditional concert format through the lens of Russian mystic composer Nikolai Obukhov
Authors: Carlota Carvalho
Published: September 2024

Born in 1892, composer Nikolai Obukhov belongs to the Russian avant-garde generation and was one of the pioneers in experimenting with twelve-tone systems, notation, and electronic instruments. He stands out from his contemporaries having inherited not only some aspects of Alexander Scriabin’s musical style, but, most prominently, the Russian symbolist belief in transcendence and collective spiritual uplifting through the performative act as well. The metaphysical substance and religious symbolism of Obukhov’s body of work reveals itself as a very rich and exciting source of inspiration for performers today.

In this exposition I analyze the most relevant features of Nikolai Obukhov’s aesthetic, from his conception of the total work of art, to his harmonic language and annotations on the score, contextualizing them in the broader cultural and philosophical panorama of Russian Symbolism. I focus on understanding the social function of musical performance, and by conceptualizing certain basic principles, I shape my own performative approach to Nikolai Obukhov’s solo piano works. In the creative process of building a more holistic performance practice inspired by Russian Symbolism, the role of the modern performer expands from one of mere executor to the curator of an experience both for themself and for their audience. With this research I intend to encourage the musical community to reflect on our current relation with performance, to experiment with different concert formats, and to realize that we too, like the artistic community of Russians mystics, can project our own hopes about the future of civilization in our performance practices.
How to understand stage fright?
Authors: Matylda Adamus
Published: September 2024

Exposition 2022
What is stage fright, how to understand it and successfully perform with it?
Johann Melchior Molter
Authors: Javier Sánchez Castillo
Published: September 2024

Among young musicians there is not much motivation to "go outside the box". We are so used to seeing from a young age the same books and the same typical pieces. All this just to get in front of a jury and play the same passages that we started to study since we were 12 years old.
But it is inevitable that a hurricane of questions sweeps through your head when you see that a composer from the 18th century you didn't know wrote a concerto for your instrument. Which instrument did the composer play? In which stylistic period can we place him? Who was the concerto written for? Do we know if there is another concerto for my instrument?
This is what my research is about, to study the life as well as the bassoon concertos of the German composer Johann Melchior Molter, born in Karlsruhe in 1696, unknown to me until a year ago. He was chapel master in Karlsruhe, he travelled around the cultural centres of Europe, which gave him a unique and varied style that is present in all his works.
Arranging and Performing
Authors: Wilma de Bruijn
Published: September 2024

This research is about arranging and performing; how performing my own arrangements affects my performance experience. The inner motivation for performing and sharing music with an audience has always been there when I felt a strong connection with the piece.
What if I could play and share every piece of music if I feel a special connection, no matter the limits of the original instrumentation? How do I ‘arrange’ this for myself, for cello? And how does performing my own arranged piece influence myself on stage? And how does my audience perceive this performance?

The research involved two phases where each one involved an arranging process followed by a performance. For the intervention, the method involved using a questionnaire and feedback forms to gather internal and external feedback. The internal feedback was about my own experience of performing my own arrangement, and the external feedback included the reactions of the audience and experts on my performances.

It turned out that performing my own arrangements, did have a positive influence on my performance experience for both myself as performer (internal) and for my audience (external). Because of the special connection with the pieces, the inner motivation to share the music was leading and resulted in more self-confidence on stage and authentic performances, even though I experienced more vulnerability than normal.

An additional spin off in this research was that when bringing my own arrangements to my main subject lessons, the lesson dynamic changed and these lessons were amongst the most important lessons for my development as a musician.

What I learned from this research was that making myself able to play pieces that I love makes me happy in my practise room and on stage. I believe this could be a useful key for other performers. Making your own music, or versions and arrangements of existing repertoire can help a musician to feel autonomous, happy, and convinced about their own playing and will result in a positive performance experience.
The Early Violone
Authors: Maggie Urquhart
Published: September 2024

Name: Margaret Urquhart

Main Subject: Master of Music

Research Coach: Peter Holman

Title of Research: The Early Violone

Research Question:
What were the earliest violones, how can they be defined and how were they used till 1700?

Summary of Results:
After looking at evidence of the emergence of the first low bowed string instruments in Europe, this paper follows the types and use of the main instruments which could be termed violones till 1700, mainly centered in Italy. Through the study of treatises referring to the violone, scores using the term, iconography, secondary sources and the reconstruction of a copy of a violone from 1590, it follows the development of the violone till it becomes an octave-doubling instrument. The presentation of the extended paper will include a closer look at the issues surrounding the history of, and the term, violone, and live performance of music demonstrating the early violone, together with two viola da gambas in a consort.

Biography:
Margaret Urquhart studied double bass and violone with Anthony Woodrow and viola da gamba with Anneke Pols at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. She subsequently joined many notable Baroque ensembles. In 1986, she became a member of Frans Bruggen’s Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century of which she is the first bassist. In addition to a busy performing schedule, she teaches at Amsterdam and The Hague conservatories, gives master classes internationally and coaches at the European Baroque Orchestra courses. She performs on the Viennese bass, the 8’ violone in various tunings and the 16’ violone and double bass.
Why can't I sleep?: A psychoanalysis of the manifestation of unattainable control through the art of composition.
Authors: Franki Dodwell
Published: September 2024

After nearly two decades of sleep problems, one question haunts me. Why can’t I sleep? Like many composers, sleep and its mysteries have become an obsession that for myself personally, has inspired an exploration between the conscious and unconscious in relation to the works of The Surrealists, Sigmund Freud and John Zorn. Using autobiographical experiences of insomnia; close analysis of scholarly texts and musical scores I will explore the various ways in which musical expression is informed by the concept of sleep. Through this exploration I will establish how the lack of control I experience due to my inability to sleep can aid my own compositional process. I will investigate how these specific artists use psychodynamic theories to take control away from their audiences and identify what drives their desire to musically capture, embody and control what is at its core, the uncontrollable.
Percussion Meets Environmentalism: A method of performance for environmental awareness
Authors: Porter Ellerman
Published: September 2024

The well-documented climate crisis often looms over our daily lives. As an artist, I often felt frustrated by not possessing tangible means to enact change to help. This research is, therefore, a base for further investigations and performances geared toward percussion-based environmentalism. By examining four distinct pieces selected for their connection, or their possibility to connect to broad or specific environmental issues, and altering variables of performance location, instrumentation, personnel, and the addition of contextual material, this exposition demonstrates one path of many for environmental advocation in music. By focusing on decisions affecting sound creation and including context or subtext within each piece, this exposition gives the reasoning behind the decisions made in each piece’s performance based on modern musical activism and theories of promoting positive behaviors. This research also examines modern musical activism in popular music and the emerging contemporary genre of ecoacoustics. The conclusions of this exposition present the benefits of flexibility and creativity in this method and the importance of audience engagement while addressing the drawbacks of this method in the challenge of behaving sustainably as a modern artist. Lastly, this research highlights the possibility of community interaction to create small-scale environmental change that is also a creative outlet for the emotional impact climate change can have on individuals.
Connections; The artistic process of creating a multimedia performance
Authors: Mia Kogelman
Published: September 2024

Connections; The artistic process of creating a multimedia performance
Albeniz, from the piano to the wind
Authors: Celia Matamoro
Published: September 2024

Albéniz was one of Celia’s favorite composers from her childhood and always felt a special connection to his work. However, in the fifteen long years that she has been studying music, she has never been able to play any of his pieces on the bassoon. Now that she has finished her master's degree -and she had to reflect on where she comes from and, ultimately, who she is-, she decided to investigate the composer in depth with the aim of arranging his Spanish Suite, originally written for piano, so that at the end of so many things, she can interpret it with her reed quintet.

Thanks to its flexibility and wide palette of colors, sound, and articulation, the combination of reed instruments achieves a greater range of register and color, and provides Albéniz's music, inspired by elements of flamenco and Spanish folklore such as cante jondo, a texture and expressiveness that evokes the human voice.

Caire Reed Quintet was formed in 2020, in the midst of the Covid19 pandemic crisis. The five of them are from Spain and they share the same passion for Albéniz. With this work the author wishes to offer other composers and performers the opportunity to discover, learn and experience how much the reed quintet's sonority can contribute to certain styles of music such as Spanish nationalist, reaching a greater range of register and color, and endowing this style of music from a new perspective.
How (not) to write a B♭ french horn beginners method book
Authors: Isabelle Roelofs
Published: September 2024

Name: Isabelle Roelofs

Main subject: Master Natural Horn

Research supervisor: Daniel Salbert

Title: How (not) to write a Bb French Horn beginners method book

Research question: How (not) to write a Bb French Horn beginners method book

Summary of the results: As a horn teacher, I realize that the existing Dutch method books seem not to be written from the perspective of a beginning, young horn player. They show little consideration for the specific physical abilities of children at a young age when learning to play the horn, probably because those methods are mostly not written by a horn player. Therefore, I have researched the do's and don'ts behind writing a method book.
If playing the exercises in a method is not physically feasible, it can lead to frustration for the student, which, in my opinion, is detrimental to the learning process. I have always learned that moments of success are crucial for the development and maintenance of motivation. I find these moments of success lacking in existing Dutch-language horn methods. I also believe that they progress too quickly to emphasize reading notation. I notice that my own students often prioritize correctness over musicality.
I have critically examined and compared the available Dutch horn method books. Additionally, I interviewed fellow horn teachers to gather their perspectives. Furthermore, I attended a lesson for young horn players at BASIS (Royal Conservatory of the Hague) where auditory learning takes precedence.
I am not the first to consider writing my own method. Other horn teachers have embarked on this journey, each with their unique motivations. My research has revealed that I am not the only one who has critical thoughts about the existing horn method books. A significant part of the interviewed teachers also emphasized this same point.
Based on the obtained results, I have outlined the initial steps that, in my opinion, are necessary for a starting young horn player, along with the corresponding range of tones.

Biography:
Isabelle Roelofs, an accomplished horn player and dedicated music teacher, earned degrees in French Horn and Music Education from Codarts University. Graduating with honors from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, she is currently pursuing a Master's in Natural Horn at The Hague Conservatory with Teunis van der Zwart. Isabelle is the founder of Belle Musique (2018), where she imparts her musical knowledge through personalized horn lessons, shaping the future of horn players step by step.
Musical Psycho Performance
Authors: Gianmarco Moneti
Published: September 2024

Although I love attending traditional classical music concerts, I have long felt that they missed certain aspects that would make them more relatable to the inner world of the audience. In this research exposition, I argue that this missing aspect is a social element and I guide the reader through a possible application of social themes to a classical music concert. On a formal level, I use the techniques of psychodrama – a form of group therapy – as a tool from which I borrow some fundamental concepts, along with the conception of characters, to understand how social themes can be addressed in a context in which multiple people connect to the same object. In this case, the object of common interest is the representation on stage. On a substantial level, I draw upon material I collected in my interviews with Clara Scarafia to study a social theme she has been directly involved with: suicide. The two levels are brought together in my pilot session, where I experiment through a sample of the complete performance I am designing and an audience questionnaire how psychodrama and the interview interact and influence one another. The goal is to show that the classical repertoire, with its complex emotional kaleidoscope and non-verbal language, can easily bear a social theme and enhance the collective reflection of relevant themes in our times.
From Phrase to Phrasing - a Classical Perspective
Authors: Jan Willem Nelleke
Published: September 2024

This paper explores the structure and performance of musical phrases according to sources from the second half of the eigtheenth century.
As phrasing is such an essential part of music making it seems curious that there is not much written about it and its application usually taken for granted. This paper wants to address this from the assumption that a better understanding of structure (phrases) will enrich delivery in performance (phrasing). It is written from the viewpoint of a performer with a focus on the practical application of theory.
Subjects include repose-moments, cadences, phrase-rhythm, punctuation, notation, skills in phrasing, breathing, and observations on Classical phrase structures and proportions in general.
Case studies are provided to demonstrate and test the theory on practical use and extend into less obvious areas like writing song intro's and cadenzas.
Josef Beer - The perfect clarinetist
Authors: Maryse Legault
Published: September 2024

Name: Maryse Gagnon-Legault

Main Subject: Historical Clarinet

Research Supervisor: Wouter Verschuren

Title of Research: Josef Beer - The complete clarinet virtuoso

Research Question:

What was the importance of the 18th century clarinetist Josef Beer and what made him stand out as the first international virtuoso on the clarinet?

Summary of Results:

The history of music is punctuated by the rise of crucial players who, by force of skills, influenced the work of composers, brought their instrument to technical improvement, pushed the boundaries of musical possibilities or just popularized a specific way of playing. One player did all those things at the end of the 18th century with the use of his instrument, the clarinet. Although mentioned in all history books about the clarinet, today’s scholars have done little research on Josef Beer. However, when looking closer at Beer’s life, repertoire and works, we notice how much he had the chance to be at the right place at the right moment. A known teacher of many of the greatest clarinet virtuosi, such as Michel Yost and Heinrich Baermann, he had influenced a generation of young musicians, popularizing his instrument all over Europe with his extensive tours. But what do we really know about Josef Beer and what made him stand out to become such an influential musician?
This research is about the life and works written for and by this intriguing man, as well as a reflection on the general implication of the soloist in clarinet concerti and how the music he played became extremely personal, by the addition of unique ornamentation and variations of the “skeleton” - the score - made by the composer. Mainly biographical and historical, this work aims also to approach Beer through the performances of works by composers gravitating around him, including his own compositions.

Biography:

Maryse Legault is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag in historical clarinets in the class of Eric Hoeprich. During her studies in the Netherlands, Maryse has had the opportunity to perform with many ensembles as a soloist, as well as an orchestral and chamber musician, in various countries including France, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands and Russia. Curious to approach different repertoires, she focuses her research around the role of late 18th-century clarinet soloists and the birth of the pre-romantic German school of clarinet playing. Maryse holds a bachelor degree from McGill University in Montreal and plans to pursue doctoral studies next year in order to deepen her research experience.
To be melodramatic: Writing a text to music according to the melodramatic tradition
Authors: Yotam Gaton
Published: September 2024

Name: Yotam Gaton

Main Subject: Baroque Violin

Research Supervisor: Bart van Oort

Title of Research: Writing a text to music to be performed as done in Melodramas

Research Question: What are the different ways in which text and music are put together in the Romantic Melodramas?

Summary of Results:

I use examples from compositions of the early Romantics until those of the end of the 19th century. Ways to treat the fusion of text and music, as can be seen from the literature, are presented in the story that I wrote, a story that is meant to be narrated with early Romantic music. The Melodrama that developed in the 70s' of the 18th century, although disregarded by some critics, became - mostly in the Germanic countries, a popular genre, used by composers from Benda through Mozart and Beethoven, to Liszt and Humperdinck.
In a world that constantly looked for musical innovations, melodrama gave a new meaning for that primary connection of music and text. So how is this text-music relation kept? Are there clear principals in composing music to recited text as can be learned from Melodramas in the Romantic period?
Representative melodramas by early and late romantic composers are discussed.
The Melodrama developed due to changes in the artistic approach to the fusion of music and text. From its early days of Rousseau and Benda and the autonomy they sought to give to each art, to the complete immersion and fusion of the two in the Melodramas of Schuman, Liszt and Humperdinck, highlighting the qualities of both arts.
The core of this work is my own intake on Melodrama. I brought examples from the story that I wrote for different fusions of recited text and music. Unlike Melodramas where music is written to text, here the process is reversed and text was written to music.

Biography:

Yotam Gaton was chamber music oriented from an early age, performing as concertmaster and principal second violin with Israel’s finest chamber ensembles. Yotam joined the IDF and served as the leader and first violinist of the IDF string quartet where he wrote and performed series of lecture concerts. Former member and concertmaster of the European Union Baroque Orchestra, Yotam played with renowned ensembles such as Les Arts Florissants and performed in Europe's most important Early Music festivals. Both as a soloist and a group member, he collaborated with some of the greatest Early Music artists such as Frans Brüggen, Masaaki Suzuki, William Christie, Lars Ulrik Mortensen and Rachel Podger.
Adapting live classical music performance for different venues
Authors: Gregor Desman
Published: September 2024

Name: Gregor Dešman

Main Subject: Classical Piano

Research Supervisor: Anna Scott

Title of Research: Adapting Live Classical Music Performance for Different Venues

Research Question: In what ways can a musician adjust his or her performance approach by taking into account the characteristics of a specific type of venue?

Summary of Results:

Each performance is unique, and depends on many factors including a performer’s physical and psychological condition, their connection to the repertoire, and most importantly, the conditions presented by a given venue. In this research project I have concentrated primarily on the latter, and have sought to determine the particular challenges and possibilities presented by varying types of venues, and how such knowledge can be used to guide the conscious decisions performers make in order to adapt their performances accordingly.
My methodology first involved carrying out background research, using relevant academic literature as well as my own experiences as a pianist. By focusing on three types of venues (concert halls, music clubs, and private homes), I was then able to compile a list of the advantages and challenges presented by each type of performance space. From this list I then prepared three different interpretations of Ferruccio Busoni's transcription of the Chaconne from J. S. Bach's Partita in D Minor, with each interpretation being specially adapted to the limitatons and possibilities presented by each of the three venue types. I then tested each interpretation by performing it in its respective venue, the results of which I documented via audio and video recordings. I was then able to analyse the effectiveness of my venue-specific interpretative decisions in these recordings, after which I compiled a table that can function as a guide for adjusting one's performances to specific venues. By carrying out this research project, I have found that in order to better communicate with their audiences, musicians can and should adjust their performances to specific types of venues. While musicians make many smaller adjustments instinctively, as related to voicing or phrasing for example, learning the logic and mechanics behind such modifications emboldens one to make larger changes as related to tempo and even character – an interpretive flexibility towards which all musicians should strive.

Biography:

Pianist Gregor Dešman studies with Prof. Naum Grubert at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. He completed postgraduate studies with Prof. Ruben Dalibaltayan in Zagreb and graduate studies in Ljubljana with Prof. Hinko Haas. Gregor has successfully competed in many international competitions and as a soloist has performed with the Ljubljana Opera and Ballet Orchestra and with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. Gregor performs across Europe with internationally successful musicians such as Tibor Molnar and Joachim Eijlander, and with the GUD Piano Trio, who have an international career and have studied with Prof. Tomaž Lorenz and Trio di Parma in Duino, Italy.
Finding Home: An Exploration of South African Art Music through the Classical Saxophone and Collaborative Practice
Authors: Josie Mc Clure
Published: September 2024

This research project explores South African Art Music through collaborative practice and the classical saxophone. It begins by investigating the discourse surrounding South African Art Music through testimony collected from various conversations with South African composers, musicians and academics such as Dr Kevin Volans, Dr Antoni Schonken, Professor Hendrik Hofmeyr, Dr Cara Stacey and Arthur Feder. I began collecting the scores of South African saxophone compositions which led to the development of an online catalogue system to document these works -The South African Saxophone Catalogue. This catalogue forms the base - as well as the network - for how this research was developed.

To further investigate the South African repertoire, I embarked on creative journeys with four South African composers through performer-composer collaboration. I decided to use this means of investigation as the relationship formed between myself and these composers shows a different level of engagement with this music, first-hand experience in the creation of this music as well as creating an open space for discourse. These collaborations were documented through reflections, audio and video recordings and are investigated in the form of case studies. The final artistic product was a concert featuring these new compositions in Cape Town, South Africa.

The data collected was organised through an amalgamation of critical reflection and thematic analysis.

Through this collective music-making, I discovered the variety in thought surrounding South African Art Music and paradoxically those who vigorously deny this term. I discovered the complexity both politically and socially that the term South African Art Music implies. In conjunction with my personal reflections, this exposition explores the ideas, opinions and art of individuals in various fields in the South African classical music scene who represent a variety of South African cultural backgrounds and generations.
The success of a symphonic transcription
Authors: Johan Smeulders
Published: September 2024

Name: Johan Smeulders

Main Subject: Wind Orchestra Conducting (HaFaBra)

Research Supervisor: Suzan Overmeer

Title of Research: The success of a symphonic transcription

Research Question:

What makes a symphonic transcription (for Concert band, Fanfare and Brass band) of one of the Great Masters from the 19th century successful?

Summary of Results:

The success of a chosen key in a symphonic transcription depends on several thoughts from arrangers and composers. It is possible to choose any kind of key for a symphonic transcription but the choice always has consequences. For example, the chosen key has consequences for the amount of sharps and flats in the individual parts for the different instruments. Another very important consequence, while a different key is chosen, is the choice for the solo parts in a transcription. Every instrument has its limitations within a chosen key because of the “limited” register for a particular solo instrument. The hard part in my research is the question: “What is success”? And how is it possible to define “success”? When a different key, another key than what is written in the original composition is chosen, some people will say the “colour” of the composition has also changed. Some people say they can feel and hear it but as we all know a lot of thoughts in music are subjective. So how can we define its success when a lot of things are subjective? What is good, better or wrong?
Luckily, I have found some measurable facts to define the success of a symphonic transcription.
My main conclusion, at this moment, is that the success of a symphonic transcription is based on several choices. First you will need to choose a key for the transcription that fits the ensemble in a natural way. When this key is chosen with knowledge about the limitations of the ensemble the transcription has to be instrumented in a high level of craftsmanship.

Biography:

Johan Smeulders finished his first Bachelor degree in 2011 as a euphonium player at the Fontys Conservatoire in Tilburg. He finished his Bachelor degree of Conducting arts studying at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague in 2015. He is the principal conductor of two fanfare bands and two concert bands in the south of the Netherlands. He also works as an arranger and as a professional euphonium player.
"Inseparable": Music and Dance in a Cross-Disciplinary Practice
Authors: Kalina Vladovska
Published: September 2024

The following research observes the artistic creative process of a cross-disciplinary theatrical dance and percussion performance, called “Inseparable”. It discusses and analyses the process and methods behind the creation of the piece; the pros and cons of dance-percussion collaboration, and of working as a team of performer-creators; the involvement of a director; the creation of the final performance with a technical crew (light & sound); and the emergence of a mutual artistic language.

The cast includes Zaneta Kesik and Matija Franjes - two dancers (doubling as choreographers), and Joao Brito and Kalina Vladovska - two percussionists (doubling as composers), creating the narrative, dramaturgy, choreography and (some of the) music on their own. The director, Renee Spierings, was invited to be an external coach. Teus van der Stelt and Maurits Thiel - light and sound artists - took care of the final presentation. The four performances took place during and thanks to Muziekzomer Gelderland 2023 and were produced by Jarick Bruinsma.

Furthermore, in the research I discuss the social impact of the project's themes – technology addiction and human communication - and I examine a number of reactions and feedback from audience members.

The chosen form of presentation is a research exposition.
Authenticity in Transcribing
Authors: Marie-Lou Debels
Published: September 2024

This research explores the concept of authenticity in transcription. It is applied to Béla Bartók's Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, movements one, two and five. By prioritising different aspects, the overall look of the transcription is shaped. Examples of these aspects are the sonic possibilities of the chosen or original instrumentation, the general style of the composer and the piece, one's own musical context, the technical abilities of the players... All these aspects could be considered as a form of authenticity. The first chapter elaborates on the concept and discusses methods of transcription. The second chapter analyses the history of the classical guitar, including its transcriptions. The guitar's search for a place in the classical mainstream has encouraged guitarists throughout the centuries to write transcriptions. Throughout history, the concept of authenticity in these transcriptions has changed. The final chapter discusses the entire process of transcribing, from the intentions behind selecting the piece to the obstacles and dilemmas that arose during the process. It shows that the transcribing part is as important as the individual practice and rehearsals. They alternate and influence each other. The Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm were of great importance to Bartók. Today they are not as popular as his Six Romanian Folk Dances but given their historical context they deserve to be heard more in today's classical music scene. Finally, it becomes clear that the abstract musical idea of the composer should be kept clear from the beginning to the end of the transcription process.
Exploring the space within intervals: an approach on different ways of shifting on cello
Authors: Alexis Bove
Published: September 2024

After listing the different ways of shifting and looking for direct applications in the repertoire, my goal was to enhance the accuracy of my shifts.
Looking for different approaches in order to raise accuracy brought me to three different conceptions about practicing.
The first approach refers to have a clear idea of the body movement required to achieve the different types of position change. However, according to recent studies, this approach using an internal focus (focus directed to the movement itself) tends to be less effective than using an external focus (focus directed to the effect of the movement on the environment).
Therefore the second approach consists in anticipating the sound as an external focus as well as developing the geography of the instrument. Nevertheless, anticipating the sound and knowing where a sound is located on the instrument does not include a musical context. Consequently the last approach is related to the goal conception as well as the practice of the musical intention.
My main conclusion is that musical intention should be the main concern of the artist in his practice, which will lead to a more authentic approach in his artistic development. Besides, I encourage musicians to use goal setting in their daily practice to develop awareness of their intention, which will help to have a better view of what method to use to reach the desired result. The last approach which is motivated by the musical intention should encourage teachers to use instructions based on an external focus in order to help the student finding his own voice in music.
Augmented Feedback: A Compositional Approach to Acoustic Feedback in Digital Spaces
Authors: Zeynep Oktar
Published: September 2024

The research entitled "Augmented Feedback", is focused on developing a compositional practice, centered around acoustic feedback processing in digital spaces. I wish to explore acoustic feedback that occurs in virtual spaces, including the hybrid world of physical and digital space and physical phenomena that occurs from the excitation of feedback through microphones and loudspeakers. I will focus on experiments, reflections, developing techniques and functions that I have discovered while composing and experimenting with pieces that have used processed acoustic feedback as sonic material, microphones and loudspeakers as instruments. The outcome will have brief background and development reflections about my approach to feedback around my personal compositional practice, the historical side of feedback and how it relates to the works of other composers and artists, technical and philosophical content of feedback in compositional situations, and how my compositional approach led me to the term “augmented feedback”.

“What if the sonority of feedback was not the center focus point of a piece? What else can we develop by using feedback and imagining it in different sonic landscapes? What is the mystique of its nonlinearity? How can we deal with microphones and loudspeakers as a musical instrument through using software environments?” are the main questions that drove me into researching feedback. Dividing these questions into subcategories: conceptual and compositional.
The Can of Norms: Expanding the Modern Lute Plucking Technique
Authors: Talitha	Witmer
Published: September 2024

Name: Talitha Cumi Witmer

Main Subject: Lute/Theorbo

Research Supervisor: Bart van Oort

Title of Research: The Can of Norms: Expanding the Modern Lute Plucking Technique

Research Question: Can “Thumb-out,” a historical lute technique in common use following the late Renaissance period, become favored by lutenists today?

Summary of Results:
After its revival in the 20th century, much has been discovered about the lute and its technique. One issue that is recently placed on the agenda of lutenists is the plucking technique applied on lutes. It is a known fact that Thumb-out was the technique applied most commonly for lute playing. Yet, very few lutenists adopt this Thumb-out technique today. Modern lute tutors tend to advise to avoid Thumb-out. If not, they advise to pluck around the rossete, and position their thumb close to the index finger. In paintings and treatises, however, we see Thumb-out hand with thumb positioned away from the index while the hand is placed around the bridge, and Thumb-out hand placed around the rosette, the former more often. I delved into this technique for 3 years and have come to understand that this “forgotten Thumb-out” is as matter of fact a technique that can be very beneficial for lute players, opening new, colorful, historical and healthy possibilities.

Biography:
The American-Korean lutenist, Talitha Cumi Witmer, started her musical studies at age 4 with church choir and piano. When she was 9 she heard a lute on a CD and immediately fell in love with its sound. Her dream to study the lute was then realized at the age of 13, when she began her formal studies on the instrument in Tokyo. Since 2011 she studies the lute under Joachim Held, and the theorbo under Mike Fentross since 2012. She performs both as a continuo player and a soloist, in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Netherlands, and Portugal.
The Development of the Performer's Role in Karlheinz Stockhausen's Piano Works
Authors: Ellen Corver
Published: September 2024

I have had the enormous privilege to meet the composer Karlheinz Stockhausen in 1982 at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. In the context of a month-long festival around his music I had, at the time being a first-year piano student, the opportunity to play his first four Klavierstücke for him, and this, apart from being a very inspiring experience for me, resulted in a close cooperation that lasted for 20 years. During these years I worked with him on all his piano works, including Mantra, and performed them many times on different occasions, almost always in the presence of Stockhausen himself. In 1997–1998 I recorded all the solo piano pieces on the composer’s label.

During those years I was asked quite a few times, either by someone from the audience or by students that I taught during masterclasses, if I expected these pieces to become part of the “canon of piano music” in fifty years from then.

At that time, being so involved in the piano pieces and probably not having the necessary distance to reflect on this question, I always answered the question in the affirmative.

So, it came as quite a shock to me when I started to notice a change by myself in relation to the piano pieces, at least to some of them. Normally, the more and longer I work on a piece the more I get attached to it, but now I started to realise that I got more and more detached from some of the pieces, up until the point that I didn’t want to play them anymore. However, other piano pieces remained very dear to me, and this up until today.

In short, it seemed that within 20 years I had unconsciously made my own ‘canon’ with regard to Stockhausen’s piano pieces.

What I find intriguing about this experience is to find out what the reason is for this enormous difference in appreciation for the works of one composer. Why am I sure that some piano works of Stockhausen will still be played many years from now while, in my opinion, other works will fade? Can I put a finger on differences between the pieces which can justify this? And if I can find something to justify this for Stockhausen’s Klavierstücke, could this also be valid for works by other composers?
The Philly Joe Jones Rudimental Soloing Style
Authors: Marios Spyrou
Published: September 2024

Name: Marios Spyrou

Main Subject: Jazz Drums

Research Supervisor: Jarmo Hoogendijk

Title of Research: The Philly Joe Jones Rudimental Soloing Style

Research Question:

How can classical exercises be incorporated into jazz improvisations and still sound spontaneous, creative and true to the jazz drumming idiom? 

Summary of Results:

Before starting this research at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, I was not so aware as how to express myself and phrase on the drum set. By studying the history of the instrument, I have found out that all the great jazz drummers have adopted and incorporated the 26 American drum rudiments in their playing, which include several sticking patterns “borrowed” from the classical music and the Swiss Army drum corps. These rudiments are like scales for melodic – instrument players, who have to practice and know them very well in order to gain technique and express themselves on their instruments. The same applies to drummers using these 26 sticking patterns. While I was listening to the great jazz drummers, I discovered that a perfect example for this is Philly Joe Jones. You can clearly hear in his soloing that he is using these rudiments in his own unique way, making them sound swinging and therefore adopting them into the bebop drumming. I therefore decided to take Philly Joe as my main “model” for this research. I started transcribing his solos and analyzing his phrasing, making my own variations and phrases based on this rudimental approach. My final result is that I can know phrase on the drums and express myself freely whenever I have to take a solo, without copying or playing standard phrases from jazz drummers like I used to do in the past, while still sounding authentic and true to the jazz drumming style.

Biography:

Marios Spyrou was born in Nicosia in 1990. He was inspired by from an early age by his father, who is also a jazz drummer. At the age of 19 he enrolled in University of Nicosia from where he graduated. There he met the great Cypriot saxophonist Charis Ioannou and started being interested in Jazz music. He attended the Bicommunal Jazz Program seminars in Cyprus led by the great New York Jazz virtuosos Ari Roland, Chris Byars and other well-known Jazz musicians. While attending these seminars, Marios was influenced by the jazz drummer Keith Balla who introduced him into the world of bebop style. In 2015 he moved to The Hague, where he is currently studying with the legendary jazz drummer Eric Ineke. On May 2015 he won the second price of the 1st Apollon Jazz competition in Greece with the Cypriot jazz band BopCy.