This webpage is the result of the artistic research project The art of interpretation (2022-2024) at the Royal Academy of Music (Aarhus).
The projects research questions was:
Clarification of concepts, can interpretation be defined as an artistic competence that starts from the musician rather than the work?
Update, is there an unrealized and contemporary artistic potential in interpretation freed from underlying historical or contemporary preconceptions?
Professional languages, can we create a contemporary vocabulary that can describe fundamental aspects of interpretation?
Process development, can we develop artistic work processes which has innovative interpretation as a goal in itself?
Distinctions, is interpretation fundamentally different on different instruments and in contemporary music?
Value creation for public, can we make interpretation visible in concert performances, so that this aspect is perceived more clearly for the audience?
Recording vs. live, are there fundamental interpretational differences between the live concert performance and the studio recording?
The project aimed to uncover tacit knowledge, understand the factors involved in interpretation, and elevate interpretation as an artistic activity with contemporary cultural relevance. Experiments included working with amplified instruments, making multiple interpretations of the same work (including transcriptions), and exploring stage use and musicians as personas. Other experiments investigated working with or without the composer, inventing new phrasing patterns, and switching interpretation paradigms.
The project was carried out by Søren Rastogi (piano), Henrik Knarborg (percussion), and Lasse Laursen (music theory), all from the Royal Academy of Music (Aarhus). It was supported by interdisciplinary collaboration with Lena Gregersen and Merlyn Perez-Silva (both from the Royal Academy of Music) and Marion Reuter (the Danish National School of Performing Arts). The project was funded by the Danish Ministry of Culture.
For more info or to get in contact with us:
Søren Rastogi · sras@musikkons.dk · http://www.sorenrastogi.com
Henrik Knarborg Larsen · henla@musikkons.dk · http://www.knarborg.com
Lasse Laursen · lala@musikkons.dk · http://www.orchestration.dk