bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Navigating through Harmony
Authors: Karst de Jong
Published: September 2024

Name: Karst de Jong
Main subject: Music Theory & Improvisation
Research coaches: Michiel Schuijer & Thomas Noll
Title of research: Navigating through Harmony

Research question:
How can spatial representation of harmony contribute to the understanding and teaching of harmonic progressions in tonal improvisation? And does the application of the directional approach provide an effective navigation tool for the improviser while shaping the harmony?  

Summary of results:
The navigation system can help in the choice of logical harmonic progressions while improvising. As a navigation tool it allows harmonic movement to be felt as opposed to calculated. As a tool for invention, the arrows challenge the obvious progressions one makes habitually as an improviser and one develops a sense of the basic movements in harmony: prolongation, movement and consolidation. It is clear that a simpler organization of harmony in the improviser's mind stimulates an active imagination, stands less in the way of the creative process, and leaves more time to anticipate what lies ahead. The research experiences have reconfirmed the importance of playing with one's ears wide open while improvising. As a teaching tool the directional approach is promising, although new materials have to be developed. This is work in progress. Clearly this research is not finished here. The next step is to take the results as a starting point for changes in the teaching of improvisation. One wish is to integrate the directional ideas with certain elements from the Partimento tradition. Then there is further research needed on the relationship between the upper structures and the underlying fundamental melody, dealing with stylistic elements such as chord forms and voice leading. The presentation has the format of a report (45 minutes) as it is in fact a portfolio of many activities leading up to this very moment, including a case study and experiments with teaching an ensemble. The presentation will consist of a summary of the theoretical background, followed by improvisations played on the piano and by an ensemble to demonstrate the ideas behind the directional approach.

Biography
Karst de Jong studied Classical Piano with Geoffrey Douglas Madge and Music Theory at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague and started teaching early at the conservatoires of Amsterdam and The Hague. In 2003 he was appointed professor of composition techniques and improvisation at the ESMUC in Barcelona, and has since been pursuing the practice of improvisation as an integral part of the curricula of higher music education. He has given many concerts with improvisations for solo piano or with ensembles in Europe, China and Japan. He taught in many international festivals, among them the International Chamber Music Festival Schiermonnikoog, the Piano-Pic Festival in Bagneres de Bigorre and the Paul Badura Skoda Vila-seca Music Festival in Spain. In 2012 he released his first solo CD with improvisations entitled "Improdisiac". Karst de Jong currently lives in Barcelona.
Modern vertical thinking (Triad pairs over seventh chords)
Authors: David Reschofsky
Published: September 2024

Modern jazz uses triad chords a lot. I would like to know all possible triad substitutions over seventh chords, so I will also examine this in my thesis. What I hear and what I transcribed from modern jazz musicians is that they know the main music systems and the possibilities very well. I will listen to and transcribe solos from my favourite artists and find out what kind of scales and triad combinations they use. I will then examine these systems to discover what kind of triad chords there are and how we can use them in an irregular way. So my main question is, how can I use the concept of triad pairs to express the sound that is in my head?
Searching for the Siren | Exploring contemporary vocal aesthetics
Authors: Kristia Michael
Published: September 2024

“Searching for the Siren” explores contemporary vocal approaches that mirror the aesthetics and the contemporary perception of defining the elements of Beauty. Specifically, three main thematics are researched: 1) The Folk Voice, which explores how folk elements and timbres enter in classical and popular music, 2) The Extended Voice, which describes the use of extended vocal techniques with reference to technical and physical aspects of timbral contrasts, vocal fry, scream and inhalation phonation, 3) The Absent, Transformed and Replaced Voice which occurred with the technological development. Ends with conclusions around the definition of the mythical creature of the Siren and its relation to the human voice. Every aspect includes personal views, works, performances and syllogisms.
The Kodály effect: Measuring musical literacy in Dutch primary school children
Authors: Ingrid Roig
Published: September 2024

Name: Ingrid Roig
Main Subject: Music Education according to the Kodály Concept
Research Supervisor: Suzanne Konings

Title of Research:
The Kodály Effect: measuring musical literacy in Dutch primary school children.

Research Question:
What is the effect of Kodály inspired music education on musical literacy in Dutch primary school children and how can musical literacy be measured?

Summary of Results:
Recent years have shown a growing effort to increase the number of music lessons in Dutch primary schools. Nonetheless, an apt way to track children’s individual musical development is currently lacking, and no studies have been conducted to investigate the beneficial effects on musical literacy. The Kodály approach to music strongly emphasizes musical literacy, and prior research shows evidence of a positive impact on specific music skills.

This thesis presents a study investigating the effect of Kodály inspired music education on the musical literacy scores of one hundred and thirty-four Dutch primary school children, Mage = 8.72 years. Children were randomized into two groups: a Kodály music intervention group and a control group. Gordon’s IOWA Tests of Music Literacy provided data on musical literacy outcomes. A Musical Aptitude test assessed the learning potential for music.

Musical literacy increased significantly in the music intervention group compared to the control group. Children with a high musical aptitude showed greater improvement in musical literacy scores than children with a low musical aptitude. The present results indicate a beneficial influence of Kodály music education on musical literacy.

In the second part of the study, the focus lies on developing a Dutch instrument and materials to measure and track the individual musical literacy development of Dutch primary school children. A pilot version and materials that music teachers can use in their classrooms are presented.

Biography:
Ingrid Roig (Argentina, 1986) studied Psychology and Developmental & Educational Psychology at Leiden University with a special interest in learning potential. In 2020 she started her studies at the Royal Conservatoire. She is the founder of a choir school in Dordrecht where she currently conducts a children's choir and gives solfege lessons. She is also a music teacher in a Dutch primary school for gifted students.
How the Degree To Which Instrumentalist and Composer Work Together Affects the Compositional Process, the Composition and the Final Performance
Authors: Stef Van Vynckt
Published: September 2024

This research focuses on the compositional process from the point of view of the performer. It examines the extent to which collaborations with composers have an effect on the composition and subsequent performance. More specifically: how do compositions in which you, as an instrumentalist, were involved during the composition process compare to compositions where this was not the case? How does the relationship with the composer contribute to the final performance?
The Flexible Trombonist
Authors: Andrew Macleod
Published: September 2024

Name: Andrew Macleod
Main Subject: Classical Tenor Trombone
Research Supervisor: Caroline Kang
Title: The Flexible Trombonist
Research Question: How can yoga be used as a tool to prevent injury and promote ease in brass playing?

Yoga has established itself as an effective tool to reduce anxiety, increase breath control, and strengthen the body. The classical music profession being an industry where physical demands are high it is no surprise that ‘playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMD) are prevalent. This research investigates the effectiveness of regular practice of yoga at reducing pain and tension in brass playing with an aim towards reducing the risks of PRMD’s.

To carry out this research a combination of a case study, interviews, self-experimentation, and reviewing existing literature was used. The case study included a mixture of seven collegiate and graduate level brass musicians who implemented yoga into their practice routine over the course of two weeks. The participants completed three surveys and two practice diaries which monitored the success of yoga at reducing pain and tension in their practice.

The outcome of the case study presented positive results in support of the correlation between the practice of yoga and reduced pain/tension in brass playing. This was supported in the self-experimentation and reflection. The interviews reinforced this connection however highlighted that yoga is not the only solution available.

Through analysis of existing material on this subject, it is clear that further research would be beneficial. The issue of PRMD still exists in the music profession and this research offers an initial insight into effective methods of injury prevention and awareness. More research on this subject would reduce the likelihood of career-ending injury and encourage a holistic practice of brass playing.
Saverio Mercadante and the Neapolitan flute school of the early 19th century. A dramma buffo on the historically informed approach
Authors: Enrico Coden
Published: September 2024

Mercadante’s flute works are among the most beloved 19th-century Italian compositions for this instrument. So far, no study has been undertaken to develop a specific historically informed performance practice for them.
In order to do so, I first analysed the Italian flute history in the first half of the 19th century, which revealed a great influence of foreign instruments and methods on local flute makers and players; secondly, I studied the Neapolitan flute school during Mercadante’s lifetime (1795-1870) and discovered which instruments were in use, which methods were kept at the Conservatory Library, and who were the most successful contemporary players. Finally, I focused on Mercadante’s biography and created a detailed catalogue of his flute works, which includes bibliographical indications of manuscripts and editions, musicological details and historical notes (when available). This process revealed that the greatest part of such pieces was composed between 1813 and 1820, that is, while he was studying at the Neapolitan Conservatory.
Once my theoretical investigations were completed, I approached the practical part of my research by following the performance practice instructions of Hugot-Wunderlich’s flute method, whose French original edition is kept in the Conservatory library since Mercadante’s study years. However, an important detail that I discovered at this research stage forced me at once to discard my entire methodological process. This true operatic plot twist - dramatic and yet funny - turned my thesis into a dramma buffo. It forced me to completely rethink my methodology and even what the concept of “historically informed” means to me.
Keith Jarrett: The Köln Concert, re-composition for a big ensemble
Authors: Stefano Gullo
Published: September 2024

As a composer, you are free to create, and often the melodic choices, the harmonic solutions are the result of something truly personal. The colors found within a piece are the representation of what the composer feels and wants to put on paper, he is free to express a concept without being bound by any kind of expectations or rules.
In this project, I am exploring the ways in which I can integrate and use Keith Jarrett’s improvisations as material for writinf for large jazz ensembles. To answer this question I learned about his life, his philosophy in music and how his musical style developed through the years, to get along with his musical idea and try to respect his first intention.
And to prepare myself for start writing the re-composition I analyzed the transcription of the Concert in Köln, seeing how he approached the improvisation and how he used the musical elements such as the construction of the melody, the use of the rhythm and the harmonic background; all elements that I used in my work.
The project demonstrates that even if is working on an improvisation, which offers such a varied material and is developed without an apparent fixed structure, it is possible to recreate compositions that have a coherence; also respecting the intention and the sound context that characterized that moment.

(cover art designed by Barbara Wojirsch, copyright believed to be owned by ECM).
Making a simple International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)—For singers, conductors and composers
Authors: Bas Ammerlaan
Published: September 2024

This research develops a simplification of a graphical resource: the International Phonetic Alphabet. The choices made to simplify it are based on an analysis of existing diction methods. The thesis format seemed most suitable for my research, as the IPA is a graphical notation method which is meant to be used by writing it down. (While it is of course used to notate sounds, these sounds themselves are not actually the focus of the research. There are also already an abundance of audio examples for the IPA symbols.)

The IPA can be a very useful aid for classical singers, from ensemble singers to soloists, but appears intimidating from the amount of symbols it has. This research looks at which IPA symbols are used and which are not used in five different diction methods for classical singers. These are systematically analysed and presented graphically to the reader to help visualise which of all the symbols presented on the IPA chart are regularly used by singers. The end result is practical in nature: a Simple IPA chart which uses only those symbols a classical singer really needs to sing the five main languages for classical singing: English, French, German, Italian and Latin.
Transcribing Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli for Orchestral Ensemble.
Authors: Raquel Garzás Garcia-Pliego
Published: September 2024

Name: Raquel Garzás García-Pliego

Main Subject: Classical Piano

Research Supervisor: Anna Scott

Title of Research: Transcribing Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli for Orchestral Ensemble

Research Question:

Can creating orchestral transcriptions of this piano piece confirm or change current perceptions of its character and meaning; and can studying the relationship between the orchestral and piano duo versions of Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances help inform my arrangements of his Variations?

Summary of Results:

This research paper focuses on the process and effects of creating orchestral transcriptions of Sergei Rachmaninoff's piano work Variations on a Theme of Corelli. The goal of this research has been to build more than one orchestral version of some of these variations in order to help piano students (as well as myself) arrive at more than one interpretation of the piece. In order to explore this idea of interpretive multiplicity and flexibility in the Variations, I based my transcription process on Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances: a work that the composer produced first for orchestra and afterwards for piano duo. During my analysis of the Symphonic Dances I tried to understand the composer's view of the relationship between orchestral and pianistic timbres so that I could then apply similar characteristics to my own transcriptions.
As pianists we are frequently asked to think and play orchestrally, but sometimes we do not have the inspiration or tools to experiment with new sonorities and modes of sound production. In making these transcriptions, I have been able to explore and expand my own relationship with this work, while also opening up my mind to the interpretive possibilities inherent in other familiar piano works. In my presentation I will highlight elements of my analysis and transcription process before demonstrating their effects on my interpretation of Rachmaninoff's Variations at the piano.

Biography:

Raquel Garzás was born in Spain in 1992. After finishing her Bachelor Degree in Zaragoza, Spain, she continued her studies by pursuing a Master's Degree at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Den Haag with David Kuyken. Raquel has a special affinity for chamber and contemporary repertoires, and is a member of the chamber group Camus Trio. In recent years she has performed as a soloist with several orchestras, including the "Chamber Music Orchestra Andrés Segovia" together with the "Orfeón Donostiarra" in the National Auditorium of Madrid.
To beat or not to beat
Authors: Jean-Loup Gagnon
Published: September 2024

Name: Jean-Loup Gagnon

Main Subject: Harpsichord

Research Supervisors: Bert Mooiman, Peter Van Heyghen

Title of Research:

To beat or not to beat: reflections on musical leadership practices in the 18th century

Research Question: What did musical leadership mean in the 18th century?

Summary of Results:

In the last century, historically informed performance practice has gained more and more popularity within the musical scene. In fact, musicians have being increasingly interested in historical articulation, phrasing, instrumentation, ornamentation, tempi, etc. Surprisingly, historical conducting practices have not been significantly investigated and hardly ever in a practical way. It may be the reason why there is a lack of experimentation in this domain, why even Early Music ensembles are using the modern way of conducting, which is to have an interpretative conductor that stands in front of the group. Would it not also be relevant to know how composers like Mozart, Handel or Bach would have “conducted” their works? Did Mozart conduct his wind serenade “Gran partita” by making gestures like we can see in Forman's movie Amadeus? Can we learn from their practical experience? This research demystifies conducting practices in the 18th century and brings a practical to the subject.

Biography:

Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in maestro al cembalo at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, Jean-Loup Gagnon studies improvisation and leadership from the harpsichord with Patrick Ayrton and harpsichord performance with Fabio Bonizzoni. His researches focus on leadership practices in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries and on stylistic streams like the Mannheim School and the Galant Style, which constituted the musical grammar for genius composers such as Mozart.
Ottoman music as a source of inspiration for today’s composers
Authors: Vasileios Filippou
Published: September 2024

Name: Vasileios Filippou

Main Subject: Composition

Title of Research: Ottoman music as a source of inspiration for today’s composers

Subtitle:
Applying aspects of Ottoman Classical music within current compositional practice

Research Question:
How can I, as a composer, understand the rich tradition of Ottoman Classical music
and as a result, inform my compositional work?

Summary of Results:
By outlining and critically evaluating my compositional process, this research paper
aims to suggest methods of composing that are influenced by, and arise from a deep
understanding of Ottoman Classical music.
The purpose of this research is to show ways in which Ottoman Classical music can
provide compositional tools for today’s composers (especially those with a European
Classical background). The paper and the composition examples will illustrate
possible ways in which Ottoman Classical music can be used.
The important results of this research are presented in the form of compositions,
accompanied by their analyses, where the ways I approached the research question are
demonstrated. A diagram has been devised, which can be used as a method of drawing
inspiration from various musical elements whilst reflecting on them. The points
discussed on the use of Ottoman Classical music in today’s practice and the two
opposing views on this matter are key to these results as they have informed the study.
This is a practice as research approach where composition, which is my artistic
practice, becomes both my subject and my tool of research. It is an area not
extensively studied in the past and it is free of pre-defined methods and open to new
interpretations. This paper can be an introduction to composers who have not yet
studied or practiced this kind of music.

Biography:
Vasileios Filippou (b. Cyprus, 1991) is currently a master student at Koninklijk
Conservatorium Den Haag studying composition with Yannis Kyriakides and Calliope
Tsoupaki. He holds a master degree with a scholarship fromTrinity Laban conservatoire
and a bachelor degree from Royal Holloway, London. His music has been performed in
The United Kingdom, Netherlands, Greece, Spain and Cyprus, broadcasted from BBC
Radio 3 (UK) and RIK Radio (CY) and also presented in Aldeburgh and Cheltenham
music festivals. Latest major performances include a piece for Orkest de Ereprijs in
Appeldoorn and a piece for Ives ensemble and Slagwerk Den Haag in Amsterdam.
The Brass Players Stutter
Authors: Nick Prince
Published: September 2024

Name: Nicholas Prince

Main Subject: Classical Bass Trombone

Research Supervisor: Pete Saunders

Title of Research: The brass player’s stutter

Research Question:

The brass players stutter, what is it, what are the causes and how can it be alleviated?

Summary of Results:

This paper deals with what is known as the brass player’s stutter, a very common but under researched issue. It occurs as the player inhales a breath to play but cannot exhale and produce the note on demand. The breath is just held in, thus giving a stutter effect. Many well-known professional brass musicians have suffered with these problems at some point in their careers. The author himself is one of the trombonists who has had to deal with this issue. Research was done through a series of interviews with different professional trombonists who have dealt with this problem to get their own opinions on this unusual issue and what they did to alleviate the problems. A questionnaire was also sent to trombone students in The Netherlands to find out if younger students are aware of such issues and if it can be avoided in the future. The results will provide a greater understanding of this problem and how I and others can find a solution to this obscure technical issue. 

Biography:

Nick Prince is a Bass Trombonist from the UK. After finishing his Bachelor degree with Roger Argente and Graham Lee at Trinity College of Music London, he moved to the Netherlands to do his master degree with Brandt Attema. His keen interest in orchestral music has led to playing with many orchestras including the RPO and Southbank Sinfonia. He also has a keen interest in brass chamber music, being a founding member of the Gianni Brass ensemble, which still performs numerous concerts per year and takes part in many education projects in the London area.
Breathtaking: An alternative approach to breathing for trumpeters
Authors: Danny Teong
Published: September 2024

Name: Danny Teong
Main Subject: Trumpet, Early Music Performance

Research supervisors: Wouter Verschuren, Susan Williams

Title of Research:
Breathtaking: An alternative approach to breathing for trumpeters

Research Question:
Breathing simultaneously through the nose and mouth: What are the benefits for trumpet playing? How can this technique be learned?

Summary of Results:
Breathing in trumpet pedagogy is a controversial area. Trumpet method books contain seemingly conflicting instructions, and breathing through the mouth and focusing on low abdomen breathing dominates conventional brass pedagogy. This research attempts to explore the teachings of Willem van der Vliet, a retired trumpet teacher, who presents an alternative approach of including the nose in the inhalation process. I have used interviews, surveys, and investigated scientific and esoteric sources to attempt to explain the breathing mechanism and to understand how and why Willem’s approach to breathing works, and how it can be learnt.

Biography:
Danny started playing the natural trumpet since 2011, and has freelanced with early music groups in the Netherlands and Germany. He is intrigued by the limitless rhetorical possibilities of early music and enjoys the portrayal of a singing trumpet via variations in articulation and sound colour. Danny is currently doing his master’s degree with Susan Williams in Koninklijk Conservatorium, with support from Adriana Jacoba Fonds.
From Aural Teaching to Musical Literacy in the Elementary Horn Class
Authors: Klaske de Haan
Published: September 2024

Name: Klaske de Haan

Main Subject: Master Music Education According to the Kodály concept.

Research Supervisors: Suzanne Konings and Herman Jeurissen

Title of research:
From Aural Teaching to Musical Literacy in the Elementary Horn Class
First steps to a Kodály inspired horn method.

Research Question:
How to develop a methodology for the beginning horn player, from an aural approach to musical literacy?

Summary of Results:
The Netherlands and Germany are almost the only countries where children start playing the B flat horn instead of the F horn because of the rich culture of wind bans. There are almost no horn methods based on the harmonics of the B flat horn. The traditional instrumental music lesson is mainly based on reproducing: a certain image on paper matches a fitting fingering thus producing the matching sound. When the sound is not matching the image than the teacher corrects this sound. I noticed that the children could play well when playing by themselves, but when they played together with other instruments they could easily play the whole phrase on the wrong pitch (wrong harmonics) but with the right fingerings. The horn is an instrument based on harmonic overtone series. Finding the logical steps on the valves of the horn is very difficult. Woodwind players have a logical system on the instrument playing diatonic series like do re mi. For the horn, with 3 valves, there is not a logical sequence playing diatonic series. This made me realize that some changes in the methodology are necessary for the horn to make an aural approach more logical for the beginning horn player. It also did me realize how extremely important it is for the young horn player to develop the inner hearing very well and make the logical steps from sound to symbol. My research paper investigates the possibilities to develop musical literacy in the horn lesson but also in the instrumental group lesson with transposing instruments. My main conclusion is that it is very important to make singing and moving a part of the horn lesson in order to develop inner hearing in relation to the horn. In that way the music will be understand and musical literacy can be developed.

Biography:
Klaske de Haan studied horn at The Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and at the Fontys Conservatoire in Tilburg with Herman Jeurissen. She graduated in 2000 for her diploma Uitvoerend Musicus.
As a free lance horn player Klaske worked with several professional orchestras in the Netherlands for example The Residentie Orchestra. Klaske is a horn teacher at the Music school, Scholen in de Kunst, in Amersfoort and she works at the Royal Conservatoire at The Hague with BASIS. A new music program for young wind players.
From 2014 Klaske specializes in Music education and pedagogy by attending several course such as “muziek als vak”.
Harmony on the violin - internalising harmony for violinists and the role of (tonal) improvisation
Authors: Liesbeth Ackermans
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Harmony on the violin – exploring ways to enhance harmonic awareness by improvisation. How can playing with basic elements of classical music help us to enter the music we perform ‘from within’, to enjoy the creative moment in connection with the repertoire we know so well and love so much, to ‘co-compose’… How can (tonal) improvisation be an aid to learn about harmony in a way that experience comes first, using, in this research, the violin as our voice?

In this research my aim has been to create a toolbox of games/exercises that can be used working in the above mentioned way. At the same time the exploratory journey of the research proved to be a transformative experience with regard to my own relationship with the music I play, love and teach. In this paper those two threads – the development of educational material and the testing out of it on the one hand and my personal development as a violinist and musician on the other hand - are constantly intertwined. The one cannot do without the other.

This paper is a report of all activities that added to the above mentioned two processes. The report will guide you through the origins of the research, the rich input of colleagues, masters and books on the subject, a report of the practising, imagining, exploring hours spent by myself in my garden house, information on the enjoyable sessions when trying out the material with students. At the centre of the paper you will find the games and exercises themselves – the content of the toolbox, called ‘Invitations’. A closer look at certain aspects of the research is found in Chapter 5 – Behind the scene. The paper will finish with a set of recommendations and conclusions and – above all – future plans.

I do hope you will enjoy this research – a research into methods that can be used to let the playing from musical intuition and the building of harmonic consciousness meet. In doing so, enjoying the richness, benefits and pleasure that musical improvisation has to offer in music education.
The space we are in
Authors: Sergio Sánchez Perera
Published: September 2024

As musicians, we work in a variety of different spaces, some of which are unfamiliar and with their own dynamics. But in order to be as productive as possible, we have internalized the notion that, particularly as performers, we must keep our personal and professional lives apart.
In my personal case, after moving to the Netherlands to begin my master's program and finding myself without a place to live, I became aware of how much this circumstance affected my playing.
Despite the initial negative impact of the situation, I was able to see potential for an artistic endeavor, leading me to embark on the creation of an interdisciplinary piece titled "The space we are in" – a composition for amplified viola, tape, and video – in an attempt to materialize the feelings and thoughts surrounding my personal situation.
In this study, I documented each stage of the artistic development process, alongside an analysis exploring the philosophical and psychological connotations of the concept of space, and contrasting it with the idea of place. Additionally, I delved into intriguing concepts such as Kathleen Coessens' artistic web of practice and examined various artistic works where the interaction with space plays a significant role.
While working on this project, I discovered a specific interaction with my environment that not only helped me adjust to my new living situation but also –and this is something that I hope to share with the readers of this research– increased my sensitivity and helped me comprehend my artistic vision.
Between Performance and Notation: How did Carl Reinecke understand Mozart’s piano concerto No.26 K.537?
Authors: Mako Kodama
Published: September 2024

Carl Reinecke (1824-1910) was a German composer, pianist, conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and professor at the Leipzig Conservatory. His piano performances were admired by Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt, and he was reputed as "the greatest and most sincere Mozart player of his time."However, you may be surprised on listening for the first time to his performances preserved on piano rolls, since there is noticeable use of expressive practices such as manual asynchrony, unnotated arpeggiation, and rubato (flexibility of rhythm and tempo), which is quite far from the kind of performance style that is considered good today.
　This research clarifies the features of the performance practices audible in early piano rolls, such as those by Reinecke. It focuses on how he arranged and notated the Larghetto from Mozart's Piano Concerto No.26 K.537 for piano solo, how he performed it on piano roll (1905), and how he described the performance of the movement in his book Zur Wiederbelebung der Mozart'schen Clavier-Concerte (1891). The discrepancies between the three source materials give an insight into the implied performance practices of Reinecke’s time and his tacit knowledge. The research culminates with personal experimentation and reflection on how these performance practices can expand the freedom and possibilities of the author’s performances.
Creating an audiovisual performance through interdisciplinary collaboration
Authors: Sanne Bakker
Published: September 2024

Research exposition of Sanne Bakker, as part of her master at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague.

This research started with the aim of creating a better theoretical understanding and breaking down the creation process regarding the making of performances with lights. Ultimately, it became a reflection on the performative practice of a classical musician and the interdisciplinary collaboration while making an audiovisual performance. In particular, the process of the visualization of music. Through literary research into interdisciplinarity, audiovisual performances (specifically with classical music), and by doing a musical and narrative analysis through a case study of Paul Hindemith’s Sonate für Harfe, a theoretical framework is created for collaborative preparation with a visual artist and live experimentation. This research then shows the working process and the experiments that were conducted. It concludes with a reflection on the collaboration, the final product, and how playing the harp sonata in this audiovisual setting has affected the performance of the music.
Apollo’s Banquet for children: Teaching baroque music to the young violinist
Authors: Ryuko Reid
Published: September 2024

Name: Ryuko Reid

Main Subject: Baroque Violin Research Supervisor: Johannes Boer

Title of Research:
Apollo’s Banquet for Children: Teaching baroque music to the young violinist

Research Question:
How can the baroque “rules” being used today in the field of historically informed performance practice be taught at a young age?

Summary of Results:
The purpose of this study is to investigate what aspects of the musical language of the baroque era can be experienced from twenty songs found in John Playford’s Apollo’s Banquet. This is a collection of country-dances, broad street ballads, theatre tunes, tunes from Morris dancing, Scottish tunes and French dances, that were published for the amateur violinist in 1670. In this study, these songs were taught to students between the ages of 5 and 10 with activities designed to create awareness of gestures, bar hierarchy, light cadences and other important baroque features, in a fun and approachable way.
Videos and observations of the lessons show that the repertoire was well received and the paper shows that the use of the songs provided an effective initial stage in experiencing baroque music However the students would need to be exposed to many more examples of these baroque elements before they become consciously learned. This paper also concludes that other elements of baroque music not included in this study, such as rhetorical devices and improvisation could be investigated, and exploring folk music repertoire of the seventeenth century would provide our students with a richer experience of the baroque style.
Biography:
Ryuko Reid is a baroque violinist specialising in historically informed performance practice and is the artist director and leader of Amsterdam Corelli Collective. Ryuko works as a violin teacher in Muziekschool Amstelveen and studied the Kodály method at Koninklijk Conservatorium.
She came to study baroque violin with Sophie Gent at Conservatorium van Amsterdam and is currently finishing her masters at Koninklijk Conservatorium, with Kati Debretzeni and Walter Reiter. Before moving to Amsterdam, she studied modern violin with Jan Repko, taught at Chetham’s School of Music and studied Dalcroze method in Manchester, UK.
Dancing About Music
Authors: Isa Goldschmeding
Published: September 2024

Name: Isa Goldschmeding

Main subject: Violin

Research supervisor: Dr. Anna Scott

Title: Dancing About Music

Research Question: How does consciously moving while playing help to interpret and communicate a piece of music?

Summary of Results:
Using movement is the most natural and direct way with which people express themselves. Elaborate research has been done on the connection between movement (gesture) and intention (meaning) in spoken language. The same principles and findings in these studies can be applied to movement and its connection to music. The method described in my case study, in which I studied Lera Auerbach’s Lonely Suite for violin solo while focusing on my body’s impulses, makes use of this instinctual way of showing what we feel, and therefore leads to a sincere and convincing interpretation. In so doing, this process can be very clarifying for a performer.
Based on my research into the available background literature I can conclude that there is much to be gained by using conscious movement while learning and performing a piece of music. Indeed, various authors repeatedly emphasize the importance of this subject for musicians, and their hope that it will be further researched and developed within the context of musical performance. By way of my case study, I have indeed found that using movement provides a new approach to learning a piece of music and to developing a personal, sincere, and honest interpretation. Emerging from the unconscious, I strongly believe that an interpretation that has been reached through movement will translate strongest to a given audience.
The background sources surveyed have also proven the value of a movement-based approach for audiences. In addition to the obvious benefits for the performer as related to musical meaning and expression, benefits that are then shared by the audience, there is also the visual aspect of this approach to performing music with conscious movements: an aspect that is of great value when connecting, sharing, and communicating with audiences.

Biography:
Isa Goldschmeding studied with Axel Strauss at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and with Theodora Geraets and Ilona Sie Dhian Ho at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. She participated in masterclasses with Theo Olof, Philippe Graffin, Stephan Picard, Isabelle van Keulen and the Osiris Trio. Isa enjoys playing chamber music, and has a special interest in contemporary music. In 2014 she was one of the instrumental soloists in Vivier’s opera Kopernikus with the Dutch National Opera. She played with Asko|Schönberg, Ensemble Klang, Rosa Ensemble, Residentie Orkest and Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht and is a member of the young, The Hague based ensemble Kluster5.
Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga, the influenced musician [final]
Authors: Alba Conejo Mangas
Published: September 2024

Name: Alba Conejo Mangas.

Main subject: Historical violin.

Research supervisor: Wouter Verschuren.

Title of the research: Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga, the "influenced" musician.

Research question: Is it possible to distinguish the influence of pre-flamenco in the villancicos of Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga?

Summary of results: During my research, I never imagined finding music from Lima or Guatemala composed by Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga, a musician from Córdoba, Spain, in the XVIII century, who had never been in these places. This discovery presented an interesting challenge: to bring back to life scores that had been forgotten for over two hundred years and to explore the music played in Córdoba Cathedral during the middle of the XVIII century.
My interest on Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga started when I listened to a beautiful villancico "Voy buscando mi cordero" by Gaitán y Arteaga, performed by La Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla with Enrico Onofri. Despite being sacred music composed for the church and for weekly mass, it was written in Spanish and carried a distinct Spanish folkloric flavour. Did Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga have a connection with XVIII century Spanish folk music? This caught my attention and spurred me to delve deeper into his music, particularly his villancicos. I soon realized how little-known Juan Manuel's music is today
The line of research I pursued falls within the realm of musicological-historical research. The musicological techniques employed include those related to musical historiography, such as the chronological organization of historical-musical events, particularly in Córdoba. Additionally, it involves an understanding of musical compositions, forms, and styles, as well as musical aesthetics, encompassing the conception of music, its functions, and purposes.
The objectives are: to understand the musical personality of Gaitán y Arteaga in his villancicos and the relation between the folkloric and ecclesiastical world in Spain on XVIII C.

Biography: Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, she finished her modern bachelor under the guidance of Gordan Nikolic in Rotterdam. It was then, that she started her interest in historical performance. After her graduation, she studied for her baroque bachelor's in Brussels under the guidance of Ryo Terakado, and in 2022 she started her master's degree at The Hague Conservatory with professor Ryo Terakado too.
Madness in music
Authors: May Kristin	 Hegvold
Published: September 2024

Name: May Kristin Svanholm Hegvold

Main Subject: Early Music Singing

Research Supervisor: Inês de Avena Braga

Title of Research: Madness in music

Research Question: How can one, convincingly, portray madness in a musical performance without being considered in a state of madness?

Summary of Results:
In the 17th century, madness was a relatively common theme in entertainment such as poetry, theatre, and music. There was something that fascinated the people of that time with the uncontrollable nature of madness. Henry Purcell and Thomas d’Urfey was among the many writers and composers who dealt with this subject, and a selection of their mad songs and texts are the main focus of my research.
Feelings such as love, hate, envy, sadness and happiness are feelings most of us have felt in our life, but madness is perhaps a state that is exclusive to some people. Is it then possible to portray this state of mind convincingly in a performance of the music? To answer this question, I have examined how madness was portrayed by Purcell and d’Urfey, and generally how people that were considered mad was treated and viewed by the society. After researching the madness of the 17th century and what we today view as madness through music, text, historical documents and other forms of entertainment, I have come to the conclusion that it is possible to portray madness convincingly, but that madness is something completely different than the feelings previously mentioned. One person can view something as madness while someone else sees it as completely normal.

Biography:
May Kristin Svanholm Hegvold is a soprano from Norway. She did her bachelor's degree at the Conservatoire in Trondheim with professor Elisabeth Meyer-Topsøe, and is now studying for a master's degree in the early music department at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, with Rita Dams. May Kristin has participated as a soloist in many productions, including the premieres of two new operas by Norwegian composers, “Pappapermisjon” by Bertil Palmar Johansen and “Kommentarfeltet” by Trygve Brøske. She has also, among other things, been the soloist in Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater” and sung the roles of Dido, 2nd Woman and 1st Witch from the opera “Dido and Aeneas”. Her latest roles involve Pamina from the opera “Die Zauberflöte” and Piacere from Händels “Il Trionfo del Tempo”.
The Music of Johann Rudolph Ahle
Authors: Jacob Gramit
Published: September 2024

Name: Jacob Gramit

Main Subject: Early Music Singing

Research Supervisor: Kathryn Cok

Title of Research: The Music of Johann Rudolph Ahle: Editorial and Performance Issues Surrounding the 1658 Neu-Gepflanzter Thüringischer Lustgarten

Research Question: How can creating a critical-performance edition of the music of Johann Rudolph Ahle impact my performance of his music?

Summary of Results:
Having always been drawn to German Music of the seventeenth century, I found a collection of music from Johann Rudolph Ahle (1623-1673) that was largely unknown and unperformed. This enabled me to start from nothing when creating an edition and researching Ahle's life and music; meaning I could see what effect the process would have on my performance. By doing detailed research into a specific collection, looking at both his compositional style and his use of pre-existing texts and music, I discovered Ahle's seeming fascination with personal spirituality, leading to new ideas for the performance of his music.

Biography:
Originally from Edmonton Canada, Jacob Gramit is currently living in the Netherlands, pursuing a Master’s Degree in The Hague, studying with Pascal Bertin, Peter Kooij, Dorothee Mields, Robin Blaze, and Lenie van den Heuvel. Recently, he both prepared the edition and performed in Michael Chance’s production of Cavalli’s Giasone, and upcoming projects include Handel’s Dixit Dominus with Holland Baroque and Cappella Amsterdam.
Before moving abroad, Jacob lived in Vancouver, where he still performs - most recently he performed in the 2017 Vancouver Bach Festival, and coordinated the Summer Festival of Sacred Music at Christ Church Cathedral, which he will return to run in 2018. He attended the University of British Columbia (BMus, 2012), and sang for three seasons with musica intima, a professional and self-directed vocal ensemble.