1. interpretation
When a musician performs a musical score in front of an audience or on a recording, we refer to it as an interpretation. Whether the interpretation captivates, enchants, or falls flat, it remains an interpretation.
However, significant disparities exist among interpretations. Interpretations presented through recordings differ substantially from live performances. In a studio recording, factors like physical presence, visual cues, and the contextual ambiance hold no sway. Conversely, in a live classical music concert, the necessity for audio technicians, soundproofing, and the luxury of retakes are absent. Furthermore, the contrast between a solo musician, groups of musicians, and a full symphony orchestra with a conductor entails vast differences in the responsibilities and creative possibilities inherent in interpretation.
This project specifically delves into interpretations led by a single musician, exploring what might happen if the performer was less bound by tradition in the interpretive decisions, within live concert settings, while also exploring the potential afforded by live amplification and recording techniques.
Interpretations are often evaluated in relation to the responsibility toward the composition being performed by focusing on the score. This relation, with the score as the master and the musician as the slave, has strong roots in the literature, which is almost exclusively about the pieces with, next to nothing about the musicians – until recent time (Cook 2014, Fabian 2015, Leech-Wilkinson 2015, D’Errico 2020)
This project is within this new approach towards the musician, seeing the musicians as an active agent in the interpretation, but it is also a project that looks at interpretation as a field of its own.
The primary question is, what are the different elements in a performative interpretation of a musical score, what are the conventions surrounding these elements, and how may they be extended to enhance the interpretation of musical scores.
2. values
A successful interpretation is succeeding with something, thereby highlighting certain qualities over others. This something could be an interpretation that is mesmerizingly beautiful, an intelligent game on expectations, or skillful humoristic – or it could be switching between these different qualities. Interpretations vary widely in quality and can be evaluated as incompetent, challenging, traditional, novel, magical, etc., depending on the expected values. Professional classical musicians do not share the same preferences for interpretation, although they generally agree on the importance of qualities such as expressiveness and technical skill (Levinson 2014, Borio et al. 2020).
Some musicians prioritize maintaining as neutral a position as possible to allow the music to speak for itself. Others adhere to specific performance traditions, while some see music as a means of communication, contemplation, or beauty. This project values interpretations that broaden the possibilities and add something new to the experience of a piece.
3. conventions
Novel interpretation or not, an interpretation must make the composition recognizable, in order for it to be seen as the composition (Levinson 1987). This is not done by reading the score literally, since it would, in many classical scores, lead to an impossible robotic use of rhythm, tempo, and dynamics, and remove most of the articulations and phrasings. Therefore, for the interpretation to sound as the composition, the performer must, willingly or not, make numerous decisions in line with existing conventions. These conventions include, among others, basic aspects like how to read a score and apply it to an instrument as well as refined techniques for the use of fluctuations in tempo and dynamics (Thom 2007). Luckily, there are many competing conventions, allowing for diverse interpretations to coexist.
Beethoven: Sonata No. 24 Neuhaus (1950), Barenboim (1984), Kodama (2010)
Three very different interpretations of no. 24 using well-known conventions.
From the above description, one might expect significant differences between interpretations, but this is not always the case. Musicians draw inspiration from multiple conventions for interpretations, yet some conventions tend to dominate, either because they are considered to be in good taste within the education system, by reviewers, or simply due to exposure through streaming services.
Beethoven: Sonata No. 24 Barenboim(1984), Biss (2020), Schnabel (1932/1938)
These three interpretations are in no way identical in any literal sense. However, they employ a timing, dynamism, and phrasing so similar that the intention and experience of the interpretations resemble each other.
In order to discover something new within a piece, one might need to challenge certain conventions. This can be achieved in various ways. For instance, one could amplify or reverse traditional strategies like the roll (beginning a phrase with an accelerando and concluding it with a ritardando (Dodson 2011)), or combine strategies, such as integrating a holistic approach to expressing emotions with an unconventional use of tempo – or, one might choose to switch interpretative strategies from one period or composer to another, such as playing Schubert in the style of Chopin or interpreting romantic music with a baroque sensibility.
Beethoven: Sonata No. 24 Pogorelich (2019)
This recording has faced quite a lot of criticism from gatekeepers (Midgette/ Rucker/ Huizenga 2019), but, whether they like it or not, it allows for a new understanding of the music.
4. contexts
While musicians prioritize the sound of their interpretations, the physical presentation and performance are often overlooked or considered irrelevant. However, music encompasses not only sound but also vision, including the musician and her movements (Williamon et al. 2006, Tsay 2013). In general, classical musicians tend to conceal themselves behind their instruments, identifying primarily as pianists, cellists, and the like. This might be done as a strategy to minimize the visual aspect. However, there are many alternative strategies available, like incorporating the musician’s visual identity into the interpretation, using movements and attire as tools to enhance the performance. Also, the musician could involve direct communication with the audience as part of the concert experience – welcoming them, offering insights into the interpretation, or sharing personal reasons for selecting the program. Just as much as the actual sound of the music, these visual elements contribute to the overall performance. In line with this, expanding beyond these strategies to consider the identity of the musician opens up avenues for exploring aspects such as the concert setting, arrival to the concert hall, and the relationship to the outside world, offering endless possibilities for contextualizing an interpretation.
5. extended
Extended interpretations do not throw tradition overboard. On the contrary, the tradition is the point of departure. It is through challenging the tradition with adjustment, variation, and creativity, that new types of meaning and refinements emerge.