While solo performances focus on individual expression and freedom, chamber music emphasizes collaboration and shared decision-making, often through non-verbal communication, to develop a unified interpretation. As an investigation of these working conditions, Charlotte and Henrik decided on a three-phased strategy to arrive at an interpretation of Takemitsu’s “Towards the Sea”.
The first phase, called preparation, is about talking through the process and finding a common ground for how to arrive at a mutual interpretation. In this phase, decisions related to phases two and three are made. In phase two, called the investigation, the decided method on how to rehearse and investigate the music are put to work. Finally, in phase three, the decision, the interpretation is decided, and it is discussed how the interpretation might be extended through stage presence.
The Preparation
We began our rehearsals with a discussion to define our interpretive approach. This initial phase was crucial in setting the foundation for our collaborative efforts and ensuring we had a shared vision for how to arrive at an interpretation of the music.
The Investigation
In the preparation phase, we had decided on three methods for investigating and simultaneously rehearsing the music. The three methods were:
1. Listening and Playing:
We listened to and played selected phrases multiple times to try different interpretive strategies. While doing so, we adjusted our dynamic balance and simultaneity, investigating the relationship between each voice.
2. Non-verbal Communication:
One musician played their part of the music while the other engaged in activities like following a line in space with eye movements or dancing to the music. This method facilitated a mutual understanding of the music and enhanced our awareness of phrasing beyond just listening. It also promoted subtle communication and cohesion.
3. Narrative Integration:
We used Melville’s Moby Dick as a narrative element by anchoring aspects of the narration, such as the battle against the whale and the whaling town, to specific elements in the music. We also noted Takemitsu’s incorporation of the sea in his use of keys (Es, E, A).
The Interpretation
We were now ready to convey an interpretation. Through the rehearsal process, a mutual understanding of the music as embodying organic, slow, gentle breathing inspired by the sound of the sea emerged. Choosing this as the basis for our interpretation felt as if the music found its way to us as much as we decided on it. This basis provided the good framework for inspiring interactions between us in the moment of performance, enhancing timing, balance, calmness, and sensitivity. To help the audience access this idea, we decided to introduce the music with a simple yoga breathing exercise: breathing in slowly for four beats, holding the breath for four beats, and then exhaling for four beats. The goal was not to explain our understanding of the music to the audience but to allow them to enter a specific state of mind before listening.
We decided to go all in by starting with playing a pre-recorded sea sound when entering the stage, and Charlotte reciting a poem about the sea before the breathing exercise. This approach made the idea perhaps too obvious for the audience, but the feedback after the concert was very positive.
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