Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
Sound & ScoreEssays on Sound, Score and NotationEdited by Paulo de AssisWilliam BrooksKathleen Coessens
Leuven University Press
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
Table of Contents
5 PreludePaulo de Assis
Part I: Score and Idea
12 Chapter1WhatIsayandWhatIdo:TheRoleofComposers’OwnPerformancesofTheirScoresinAnsweringOurResearchQuestionsaboutTheirWorksandHowWeShouldInterpretThemJeremy Cox
33 Chapter2“TheMysteriousWhetherSeenasInspirationorasAlchemy”:SomeThoughtsontheLimitationsofNotationPaul Roberts
39 Chapter3ArtisticPractice,Methodology,andSubjectivity:The“ICan”asPracticalPossibilityandOriginalConsciousnessAndreas Georg Stascheit
47 Chapter4FromTerritoriestoTransformations:AntonWebern’sPianoVariationsOp.27asaCaseStudyforResearchin-and-throughMusicalPracticeDarla Crispin
61 InterludeI:ExploringMusicalIntegrityandExperimentationKathleen Coessens
Part II: Mapping the Interface
68 Chapter5PoemasScore:FindingMelodiesforUnnotatedTroubadourSongsRobin T. Bier
83 Chapter6SoundDrifts:ThePhenomenonofStylisticChangeintheInterpretationofFixedTextsAnna Scott
94 Chapter7PressionRevised:AnatomyofSound,NotatedEnergy,andPerformancePracticeTanja Orning
110 Chapter8TheIn(visible)SoundMiguelángel Clerc
122 InterludeII:TheScoreonShiftingGroundsKathleen Coessens
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
Part III: Extending the Boundaries
130 Chapter9TheBeginningofHappiness:ApproachingScoresinGraphicandTextNotationVirginia Anderson
143 Chapter10ClosingtheGapbetweenSoundandScoreinthePerformanceofElectroacousticMusicGregorio García Karman
165 Chapter11NotationalPerspectiveandComprovisationSandeep Bhagwati
178 InterludeIII:TheScorebeyondMusicKathleen Coessens
Part IV: Choreographies of Sound
184 Chapter12APhysicalInterpretationofaScoreinaListeningAttitudeSusanne Jaresand and Maria Calissendorff
195 Chapter13ScoreasRelationship:FromScorestoScoreSpacestoScorescapesYolande Harris
206 Chapter14DrawingandtheScoreAnne Douglas
218 PostludeKathleen Coessens
221 Personalia
227 Index
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
EditorPaulodeAssisWilliamBrooksKathleenCoessens
AuthorsVirginiaAndersonPaulodeAssisSandeepBhagwatiRobinT.BierMariaCalissendorffMiguelángelClercParadaKathleenCoessensJeremyCoxDarlaCrispinAnneDouglasYolandeHarrisSusanneJaresandGregorioGarcíaKarmanTanjaOrningPaulRobertsAnnaScottAndreasGeorgStascheit
Copy editorEdwardCrooks
Series editorWilliamBrooks
Lay-outStudioLucDerycke
©2013byLeuvenUniversityPress/UniversitairePersLeuven/PressesUniversitairesdeLouvain.Minderbroedersstraat4B–3000Leuven(Belgium)
Allrightsreserved.Exceptinthosecasesexpresslydeterminedbylaw,nopartofthispublicationmaybemultiplied,savedinautomateddatafileormadepublicinanywaywhatsoeverwithouttheexpresspriorwrittenconsentofthepublishers.
isbn9789058679765d/2013/1869/50nur:663
This book is published in the Orpheus Institute Series.
The fourteen essays in this volume are selected and extended versions of papers presented at the conference ‘Sound & Score’, held at at the Orpheus Institute in December 2010.
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
184
APhysicalInterpretationofaScoreina
ListeningAttitude
Susanne Jaresand and Maria CalissendorffRoyal College of Music, Stockholm
introduction
Sight—thevisual—hasalwaysbeencentralinthemindofWesternphilosophyandalsoabasisforknowledgeingeneral.However,inthephilosophiesdevel-opedbyHeraclitus(500BC)(1997)andlaterHeidegger(1927),weencounteralistening-thinkingthatencompassesnotonlylisteningtomusicbutalsolis-teningasabasicphenomenoninhumanrelations(Wallrup2002).Listeningopensuptheworld,incontrasttothevisual,whichestablishesboundariesandiscriticalandanalytical.Inmostcaseslisteningallowsforadifferentkindofmeaning,sothatwhenvisualcomprehensionfails,thelisteningbecomesbothaphysicalexperienceandanembodimentofunderstanding.Thisdualityhasanequivalenceinthedifferencebetweenartisticandscientificresearch;inthelatter, thevisualappears inas fixedconditionsandconcreteevidence,whileauditoryperceptionisephemeral,in-processandtransformative.Wewanttohighlightthecomplexityoflisteninginanartisticprocess,takingintoaccountbothdanceandmusic,andtosuggesthowthemusicisinfluencedby,aswellasbeing,themethod,throughparticipation,accountabilityandco-creation.
Therelationshipbetweendanceandmusicwentthroughmanyapproachesduring the twentieth century, and dance has consistently been related tomusicinaconsciousorunconsciousway.Duringthebirthofmoderndancein theearly twentiethcenturychoreographerswantedtodeepenthedanceasanart formbyfindingthevalues intrinsic in individuality, in thequalityofmovement,andindifferentcompositiontechniques,allindependentfromthesoundingmusic.Thisevolvedlater,aroundthesixtiesandseventies,intothechoreographyofdancetotakeplaceinsilence.Forthesechoreographersthe dance in itself was an expression; they were reacting to early moderndance and ballet that practised “music visualisation,” as evidenced in thechoreographyof,forexample,IsadoraDuncanandRuthSt.Denis,whousedsymphonic music. The choreographer Mary Wigman started to use percus-sion instruments for accompaniment in, for example, “Hextanz” from 1929andeventuallytousemusic(ornon-music)withstrongemotionalcontentinher“Ausdrückstanz.”ThechoreographerMerceCunninghamandcomposer
Chapter Twelve
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
185
JohnCagedevelopedaforminwhichthemusicwasavividlandscapeofsoundandthedancecameforwardasanabstractmusicalform.Ingeneral,choreo-musicalinfluencesinthetwentiethcenturyledchoreographytovisualisethemusicindance,usingmusictocreateamoodortostrengthen,leadorcom-mentontheemotionsinanepicpieceofdance.Thisisstillthegeneralhistor-icalviewoftherelationshipbetweendanceandmusic.
To many of us music and dance have a strong link to each other, but inresearchthenatureofthislinkoftenisnotobvious.Itisthereforeimportantthatnewandusefulstudiesindanceandmusicresearchbeconductedinawaythatisrewardingandenrichingforbothfields.Theinterplaybetweendanceandmusichasbeengoingonforaverylongtime,thoughtheinteractionhasvarieddependingonexpression,time,orthecurrentsocialclimate.However,moresystematicandreflectivestudythatcouldbuildabaseforknowledgeinthisareaisalmostcompletelymissing.
aim
Duringtheautumnof2009,adanceandmusicprojectstartedwhichculmi-natedinaperformancenamedEchange,withninedancersandfullorchestraat The NorrlandsOperan in Umeå, Sweden (Jaresand 2009). The researchinvolvedcollaborationbetweenexpertswithcomplementaryskills.Theartis-tic director and choreographer, Susanne Jaresand, and the researcher, MariaCalissendorff, documented the events and analysed the project by means ofobservations,interviews,reflectiveseminarsandfocusandreferencegroups.Their observations were followed up by “stimulated recall” with both cho-reographer and actors included in the study. The dance was choreographedinrelationtotheviolinconcertobyUnsukChin,performedbysoloistAnnaLindal and the NorrlandsOperan Symphony Orchestra under conductorStaffanLarson.Theprojectconcentratedonthecontinuousinteractionsandreflectionsofachoreographer,conductor,dancerandorchestra(includingthesoloist)throughouttheartisticprocess.
Thestudythusencompassesbothdanceandmusicandisfocussedonhowtheseartsareshapedthroughacreativeprocessandinaprofessionalperfor-mance.Itfollowsthatthestudyexploreshowascoreistranslatedintodanceandwhether thisphysical interpretationofascorecandeepenthe listeningexperienceofthesoundingmusic.Whatisthedifferencebetweendanceandmusic? The analysis of the score became the artistic context for creating acounterpointindance,togetadeeperinsightintomusicthroughtheconjunc-tionofthetwo.
Anothergoaloftheinvestigationwastoexplorethechoreographer’sroleasacontributortoaprocessinwhichthedancerisapartnerwhoparticipatesinshaping content and its development and shares the decision-making aboutsuch issues as perspectives, intent and structure. In such a process, the cho-reographerhasaresponsibilitytoshareresearchresultsanddecision-makingregardingconcepts,intentandstyle.Choreographeranddancerthentogethercreateandpossessavolumeofknowledge(Butterworth,2004).
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
Susanne Jaresand and Maria Calissendorff
186
Fromtheoverallpurposestherewerederivedthefollowingspecificobjectives:– tocreateanartisticexpressionindanceandmusicthroughextended
listening,notnecessarilyconnectedtotheear;– toclarifythedifferentrolesintheartisticprocessinordertoachievea
deeperinsightintotheinteractionsbetweendancerandmusician,withintheirrespectiveartisticexpressions;
– fromanartisticperspective,toilluminatesystematicallythemethodsandprocessesutilisedintheartisticwork,withinthegenreofcontemporarydanceandbasedonthemusicallanguageindance;
– tofocusonandreflectupontheideaofparticipationandco-creationintheartisticwork.
Whenmusicanddanceareincorporatedinthistwo-voiceharmony,theactorstakealisteningperspectivethatpointstowardaresolutioninacollectivecon-sciousness and therefore links to thoughts and theories about the ego andaboutconsciousness.Theseformpartofalongphilosophicalandpsycholog-icaltraditionwhichtodayisstronglyinfluencedbyneurologistsandphiloso-pherssuchasDamasio(1994,1999,2003)andMetzinger(2003).
background
What kinds of choreomusical relationships exist and how do we talk aboutthem?Whatdochoreographerslookforinmusicandcomposersinchoreogra-phy?Howdodancersembodysoundandmusiciansreflectmovementintheirperformances? How similar or different are physical and acoustic gestures?DoestheequivalenceimpliedinthesequestionsapplyintheworldofWesternmusic,wherecomposersandconductorshavebeenconspicuousintheirexer-ciseofexpertiseandauthoritythroughoutcenturiesandwheremusicianshavebeeninstrumental,inbothmeaningsoftheword?
Historically, many modern dance pioneers received their rhythmic andmusical training directly from Émile Jaques-Dalcroze. Marie Rambert, whostudiedwithhimfornearlyfouryears,helpedVaslavNijinskyinthecreationofThe Rite of Spring.Rambertsaysthat“theinterpenetrationbetweenmove-ment and music is so that you hear with your eyes and see with your ears”(Sawyer1986,40).
MarieRambertalsostartedtheBritishBallet,inwhichFrederickAshtonandAnthonyTudorwereactive.OtherdancepioneerswhowerepupilsofJaques-DalcrozewereMaryWigman,HanyaHolm,RuthSt.DenisandTedShawn.ThelattertwofoundedtheDenishawnSchool,whereMarthaGrahamandDorisHumphrey studied. The interest in “Music Visualisation” at the Denishawn-schoolshowswhatagreatinfluenceJaques-Dalcrozehad.
Cooperationbetweenmusicanddanceisoneofthemostestablishedandmostdiscussedinterdisciplinarytopics.Asearlyasthe1920sFedorLopukhovpointedouttheimportanceofthedevelopmentofnon-narrativedanceanditsrelationtomusic(Sawyer1986).Evenso,thesubjectisoneoftheleastthor-oughlyinvestigated.However,therearenowsignsthatresearchersandprac-titionersinbothdanceandmusicseektocreatenewideasandtoencourage
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
A Physical Interpretation of a Score in a Listening Attitude
187
anexchangeof languagefromthetwodisciplines.Roehampton’sCentreforDance Research is an internationally recognised centre for choreomusicalstudies. Working together with Princeton University’s Music Department,which engages in interdisciplinary research, the Centre has built a basis forcooperationwiththeBritishSocietyforDanceResearch.OneofthepersonsbehindthisinitiativeisProfessorStephanieJordan(2000).
listening
Listeningcanbeunderstoodasameaning-makingactionthatincludesmusi-cians, dancers, choreographers, conductors and visual artists, all involved intheartisticprocess.Thisleadsusawayfromconventionalprinciplesofcauseandeffect,insteadturningtheartisticapproachtowardslisteningtoallowforfurtherunderstandingandnewinterpretivedimensionsinartisticexpressions.Whatisimportantaboutlistening,andwhatmethodscanleadtoamorepro-found experience of it? What is listening? Can a movement be perceived asmusic?Howdoeslistening-thinkingcomeforward?Howcanlisteningbemademoreimportant,withagreaterpresenceinartistic,philosophicalandscien-tificdiscussions?Whatisthefunctionofrhythminrelationtothesequestions?
Sound associations can create meaning and context for patterns in otherthanconventionalways,andbeinginbetweentwostatescreatestransparencythroughmovementtosomethingelse—somethingnew,orpast.Wehearmusicnotjustthroughourearsbutalsothroughourhands,arms,cheekbones,skull,tummy,chest,legs,openingourbodytothevibrationofthemusic.Musicanddancecancreateasenseofsolidarity,developself-confidenceandnurtureinethicalandaestheticvalues,awakenasensibilitytotheoutsideworld.Musiccontainshumanexpressions;anddance,ascounterpoint,becomesamirrorinordertodeepentheexperienceofmusic.
method
When dance and music interact, a complex human agreement occurs, inwhich listening infuses the artistic process with an expanded awareness.Conventionallythechoreographerchoosesapieceofmusictoframethecho-reography,asanartisticlimitation.Themethodusedinthisproject,however,was to create the dance in silence but out of the choreographer’s profoundknowledge of the sounding music. The dance creates its own music, ownpulse, rhythm,melody—acounterpoint to thesoundingmusic.Thedancerswillfinda“dance-sounding”musicinthedance.Theylisten,throughdancingthis“danced”music,tothesoundingmusic.Polyphonicandpolyrhythmicele-mentsequivalenttothesoundingmusicwilloccur.
Thefocusisontheroleofmusicinrelationtothedance,notonmusicassomethingthedancehastobreakawayfrom.Moreimportantistobeabletoexperiencethegreatnessofmusicinboththesoundingandthedancedmusic.Oneoftherolesofthedanceinthisprojectistoenhancetheexperienceofthesoundingmusicthroughthedancedmusicalcounterpoint,acounterpoint
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
Susanne Jaresand and Maria Calissendorff
188
thatneithervisualisesthesoundingmusicnorsimplycontrastswithit(as,forexample,stronglyrhythmicmusicwithalegatodance,orasoundedcrescendowith a solo dance in a movement sequence that is pianissimo). Instead, thefocusisonseeingdanceandmusicasequallytransformablepartners—trans-formableinthesensethatbothartexpressionsareusingmusicalelementsinastructuredforminwhichtheartisticchoicesarebasedonresearch,knowl-edge, experience, tradition, style and communication—that is, listening.The method also requires implementing its converse: a composer listens toandanalysesachoreographed“dancedmusic”andcreatesacounterpointinsoundingmusic.Thenthedancetakesontheroleofdemarcation,settingtheframeoftheartwork.
Inthiscase,thedanceischoreographedinadvance,withmusicalelementsandstructuresastheinspiration/starting-pointfortheformandthequalitiesandcontentofmovement.Thesoundingmusicmustopenuptothemusicofthedance;thecomposermust“hear”thedancescoreandhavethisscoreasaframeforthesoundingcomposition.Thechoreographyshouldbeopenforinterpretation in the same way as an orchestral score is interpretable to theconductorandthemusicians.
The project also highlights the place of gender and how gender roles aremanifestedintheartisticprocess(Hermele2007).Theartisticcollaborationbetweentheareaofdanceandmusicistraditionallycharacterisedbyverypro-nouncedandrigidgenderroles:thedanceisseenasfemale,fillinginanemptyspace,whilethemusic isseenasmale,makingtheframeandgoverningthisspace.Thisgenderedperspectiveisnotmanifestedinactualmaleandfemalesexes,ofcourse;itshouldbeunderstoodasabroaderconcept.
process
Thechoreographerfirstdetermineswhatmusicshouldbethestartingpointand source of inspiration for the dance and music performance. This deci-sioncanalsobemade inconsultationwith thedancersandwithall theart-istsinvolvedintheprocess.Thenthechoreographerandconductoragreeonan interpretation of the music. The choreographer repeatedly listens to themusic,recordedinthecurrentinterpretationoftheconductor,sothatallpartsofthemusic(themusicalelements)becomeanchoredinthechoreographer.Then the choreographer conducts extensive score studies to determine howeachpartofthemusiccreatesabaseforthedance:Howmanydancersshouldbeincludedinthedifferentparts?Isthedancesupposedtovisualisethemusicor to provide a counterpoint? Can a solo dancer meet a compact tutti cre-scendo?Andsoforth.Thesearesomeoftheartisticchoicesofthechoreogra-pher,whothencreatesasketch-likedancescorefromthemusicscore,akindoftwo-voiceharmony.Inthisprocessthescorethatwasthestartingpointfortheprojectisinterpretedandexpressed.Thechallengenowistofindaflow,agive-and-take,intheinterpretationofthesoundingscorewithreferencetoinstrumentalgroups,soloparts,volume,timbre,time,rhythm,pauses,melody,counterpoint, harmony, phrasing, structuring, orchestration…; and to find
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
A Physical Interpretation of a Score in a Listening Attitude
189
how the dance will be structured: number of dancers, quality of movement,muscledynamics/tonus,diversityincorporealforms,duration,rhythm,phras-ing,continuoussuccessionofisolatedmovements,distributionofmovementsinspaceandtime,variedmovementsinoppositionandcombination,succes-sionofassociatedmovements…
The choreography is then further developed in silence, to find its own“music” within the dance, a process in which the dancers are co-creatingalongside the choreographer in their individualities, experiences, imagina-tionsandknowledge.Thisisindispensablefortheartisticexpressionoftheperformance.Thedancesequenceisbasedonalisteninginterplaytothenat-uralrhythmthatoccursintheimprovisationofthedancerandtheshapingofthe movements of the choreographer. There are also relationships betweentherhythmsofthedanceandtherhythmsofthemusic,betweenthesoundvolume and the size of choreographic gestures, between musical texturessuchaspolyphonyorhomophony(whichdescribetheorganisationofinstru-mentalvoices)andtheanalogouschoreographicorganisationofthedancers,betweenthetimbreof the instrumentsorsoundsandthecharactersof theindividualdancers,etc.
It is important that the choreographer has a profound knowledge of thesounding music. The dancers only listen to the music through dancing thesequencecreatedinsilence;thusanartisticencounteroccurswithlisteningasamutuallanguage.Thiscooperativeprocessshouldbecarriedoutaccuratelyandwithgreatcare,especiallywithregardtothequalityofthenon-psycholog-ical movement that arises in the work when the musical elements are trans-formedintodance.Theprocessalsorequiresaccuratetimingwithregardtotheappropriatemovements.Howcanadancerbeexactlyplacedinatimelinewith his or her whole being? Must the dancer physically be seconds prior inordertobeexactatapredeterminedtime?
Therearedifferentwaystoachievethisconsciouslistening;oneofthemisthemethodofDalcrozeEurhythmics,whichistheEnglishtermforthemusicmethoddevelopedatthebeginningofthetwentiethcenturybytheSwisscom-poserandmusicteacherÉmileJaques-Dalcroze.Thename“Eurhythmics”isavariationontheword“eurhythmia,”atermusedinartandarchitecturetorefertospecialandharmonisedproportions.EurhythmiaisderivedfromtheGreekword“eu,”whichmeansgood,and“rhythmos,”meaning”flow.” It isamethodtotrainanddeepen listening,which isexperiencedasaphysicalexperienceofthewholehumanbeingwhenreadingandinterpretingascore.Dalcrozeclaimedthatmusicalexpressivenesscouldbetaughtanddoesnotdependsolelyonnaturaltalentandalsothatprominentmusiciansoftenhadan instinctive physical connection to music. Dalcroze trained students ineach of the musical elements so that they could represent these physically,resultinginavirtuallexiconofmusicaltranslatedmovementsasdepictedinthefollowingtable(Jaques-Dalcroze1920,150):
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
Susanne Jaresand and Maria Calissendorff
190
MUSIC DANCE
Pitch Position and direction of gestures in space
Intensity of sound Muscular dynamic
Timbre Diversity in corporal forms
Time Time
Rhythm Rhythm
Rests Pauses
Melody Continuous succession of isolated movements
Counterpoint Opposition of movements
Chords Constellation of associated gestures /movements
Harmonic successions Succession of associated movements
Phrasing Phrasing
Construction/form Distribution of movements in space and time
Orchestration Opposition and combination of diverse corporeal forms
Every physical action or movement can be related to a musical term andusedtophysicallyreproducethemusicindance/movement.Muscledynam-icshighlighttherhythmsofthemusic,whilethemusic’sdynamicsmakethemovementmusical,withitsplasticabilityandrhythms.Gestureclarifiesthemusicalexperience.Theexercisescanbeseenasdancingtotheuntrainedlis-tener/viewer.Themethodcanbefurtherdevelopedintoanartofmovement/dance in which listening is the artistic point of departure and inspiration.Sotherearetwogoalsof theEurhythmicmethod: todeepenyourmusical-ityasamusicianandtocreateacontemporarydanceformbasedonmusicalelements.
dance genres
Contemporary music has a history in which different styles are not neces-sarily linked directly to specific composers or individuals. In contemporarydance,styleoftenemergesfromthetechniqueofaparticularchoreographer.By grouping modern contemporary dance styles into three genres, we can
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
A Physical Interpretation of a Score in a Listening Attitude
191
strengthenthedifferencesinartisticidentitieswithinabroaderculturalhis-tory.Thegenreshavedifferentstartingpoints:1. fromanarrative,anepic,ahistory.2. fromanimage,amood,afeeling.3. fromthemusic/rhythm,thesounding.
Musichasdifferentfunctionswithinthesethreegenres:1. Intheepicthemusicaccompaniesthestory,enrichingitscontentswith
differentemotionalstatesthatoftenprecedewhatwillhappen.2. Whentherearevisualbeginningsthemusiccreatesanatmosphereinthe
room,akindofmusicalcarpettodanceon.3. Whenthemusictakestheleadingrolethesoundingmusicmakesavoice
andthedanceisanindependentmusicalcounterpart.
Whenworkinginthethirdgenre,therolesoftheartistsintheprocesscanbedescribedasfollows:– The Musicianneedstolistentotheinterpretationrealisedthroughthe
interactionbetweenco-musiciansandconductor.Themusicianmustval-uetheimportanceoftheinterpretationtothewayinwhichthesoundedmusicmeetsthemusicofthedance,inordertofindstabilityand,inthat,adeeperlisteningtothedance.Ifthemusiciscomposedwith“intervals”forthedance,musicianscan,inthesespaces,openuptheirlisteningevenmoretothedanceandincreasetheirknowledgeabouttheexpressionsofdancethatareequivalenttothoseinthescore.Thisexperiencecanaddnewdimensionsofinnerandouterlisteningtotheirplaying.Themusicbecomesphysicalandspatialandthusprovidesopportunitiesforfindingnewdimensionsofmusicalexpressions.Ifthemusicisbasedonimprovi-sationalmodels,musicianscaninteractwiththemusicofthedancetoanevengreaterextent,throughmutuallistening.
– The Conductorshouldforminadvanceanunderstandingoftheorches-tralmusicaspartofaperformanceandshouldthereforehaveacom-municativerelationshipandtakealisteningattitudetowardstheformandcontentoftheperformance.Theconductorinterpretsthemusic,incollaborationwiththechoreographer,andrecordsitforuseduringtherehearsals.Thisinterpretationoffersasolidartisticframe,andshouldberepeatablewhenitmeetsthedance,sincethedancerswillhaveestab-lishedcoordinatingpointsinthemusicthatfollowthatinterpretation.Nonetheless,variationsshouldoccurwhentheorchestralbodymeetswiththebodyofthedance,allowingforalivingartisticmeeting—whichincludesthelisteningcontributedbytheaudience.Inanimprovisingorchestralbodytheconductortakesontheroleofartisticsupervisor,dis-tributingvariousimprovisationalmodelsinagive-and-takerelationshiptothedance,whichcanbechoreographedorimprovised.
– The Dancerimprovisesmovementmaterialshapedbythechoreographerandbasedonthemusicalelements.Thedancer’sknowledge,experi-ence,imaginationandindividualityshinesthroughthematerial,whichis
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
Susanne Jaresand and Maria Calissendorff
192
“straightenedup”bythechoreographertobeconsistentwiththegenreinwhichthechoreographerisworking.Thedancesequenceisbasedonaninterplaybetweenlisteningtothenaturalrhythmthatoccursinthedanc-er’simprovisationandtheformingofmovementsbythechoreographertopurposesthatfollowfromamusicallistening.Themetricstructureofthesoundingmusicisneithercontrollingnorlimiting.Thenthedancesequenceconfrontsthesoundingmusictofind“meetingplaces”whichoccurbyintuition,coincidence,knowledgeandexperience.Itisimportanttocultivateinthedanceascaleofmusicalexpression,togivethebodyfullcontrolofallavailabledynamicandagogicelements,tocreateanopportunitytoexperienceeverynuanceofthemusicthroughthemuscles.Thisrequiresknowledgeandrecognitionofdifferencesinarticulation,musclecontraction,decontraction,balance,flexibilityandelasticity.Thislearningmustbecomplementedwithknowledgeaboutagogicandspatialpractices,sothatvariationsintimeareanchoredthroughlistening.Adancer’smusicalitydiffersincharacterfromthatofamusician;itisamixturemadefromdifferent—butrelated—content.Thedancer’sinter-pretationmustcombinemuscularimpulsesandextremelysubtleshiftsintimingwiththemusic’sframeworkofphrasing,rhythm,andotherqualities,asdecidedbythechoreographer.Mostofthecrucialprepara-toryandconnectingmovementsarebeyondandevenincontradictiontothemeterandpulseofthesoundingmusic.Theculminationofamove-mentishighlydependingonthepreparationofandrelationshipsinthemovement,andthoseculminationsarethemostimportantmomentsfortheaudience.Theaudienceshouldbeunawareofthepreparationorlink,asthesehavenointrinsicvalue.Thepreparationforanddeparturefromamovement—“cominginandreachingout”—iswhatgivestheveryessenceandqualityofthedance,themusicalityofthedance.Consonanceinthedancecanbeachievedbysuchtransitionsiftheyareperformedwithmusicalconsciousness.However,ifthedancesequenceischoreo-graphedinadvance,aninverserelationshipcanalsobefound,inwhichthemusiciancreatesaconsonantcounterparttothemusicofthedance.Eitherway,inabroadsenselisteningpermeateseverypartoftheprocesstocreatethedance.
– The Choreographerdesignsmovementsofmusicalvalueinrelationtotheartisticvision.Thisisanactivityasspecificandthoroughasthedesignofanorchestralwork,bothmusicallyandintermsofspace.Heorsheshouldhaveknowledgeofcounterpoint,phrasing,cooperativepolyrhythmicmovementsandharmonisationinthedance,aswellasknowledgeabouttherelationshipsbetweenmovements,bodypositionsandthespacethatsurroundsthem.Thechoreographermusttrainthedancer’slisteningtobeinsidethemusic,facingit—andthemusicalintegrity—withinthedancewithoutbeingcontrolledbyitorfollowingimpulsesdirectlyfromthesoundingmusic.Thechoreographerispartofalargenetworknotonlyofdancersbutalsoofmusiciansandcomposers.Thisrequiresclosecooperationinaspiritofcuriositythatallowscomposerstoappreciatethattheirworkisbeingin-terpretedasacounterpartindanceandmusicianstoopentheirlistening
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
A Physical Interpretation of a Score in a Listening Attitude
193
towardsdance.Thisspiritmustalsoembracethevisualscenicexpressions(lightdesign,setdesignandcostume),sothattheyenhancethemusicalvaluesandavoidastorytellingthatpossiblyalienatesfromthemusic.
discussion
Arethereanypractisesthatcangovernchoreographiccreationsbyconsider-ingthequalitativecharacteristicsofmovementinrelationtothemovements’inherentmusicality?Howcanwesubjectivelyseparatemovementthatismusi-callymeaninglessfrommovementthatismusicallymeaningfulinrelationtotheartisticintention?
Are there methods for compositional creation that relate the qualitativecharacteristicsofsoundstotheinherentmotionsofgestures?Howcanmean-inglessgesturesorsoundsbeseparatedfrommeaningfulones?
Can the positive incomprehensibility, the abstraction, of music be foundindance,ordoesdancehavetobecomprehensiblethroughitscorporeality?Asaninstance,considerthestatusofsoundvis á vismusic.Soundisgenerallyimmediately comprehensible, while music has greater structural abstractionandhencegreaterambivalence.
Whatsynergiescanemergefromthisresearch,thislistening,bothphysicallyandinstrumentally?Isthispracticetransferabletohumancommunicationout-sidetheartisticworld?Doesasynergyemergefromthisprocess,oneinwhichdanceandmusicaremutuallyconvertible?Canthismethodstrengthen,deepenandmakevisiblewhatthelanguagesofmusicanddanceclarifyinrelationtoanartisticintent?Inwhatothernon-artisticfieldsmightthismethodapply,ifwesubstitutefordancer,musician,choreographerotherprofessions—artistic,educationalandnon-artistic?
With these overall thoughts about listening in artistic research as a newparadigmintheacademic,philosophicalandscientificworld,itisimportanttovisualise(“audialise”)listeninginabroadersense.Weuseartisticexpres-sions—dance and music—for the purpose of emphasising their commondenominator:listening.
TheperformanceEchangewasapractice-basedresearchproject;itcouldonlytaketheformitdidbecauseitwasanartisticproject.Artisticresearchcancre-ate remarkable connections between different disciplines, and through thisitalsodevelopstheartist’sindividuality.Artisticresearchisinvaluableinourcomplexinformationsociety,inwhichscientificandartisticskillsareincreas-inglybalancedonamoreequalbasis.
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013
Susanne Jaresand and Maria Calissendorff
194
references
Butterworth,Jo.2004.“Teachingchoreographyinhighereducation:aprocesscontinuummodel.”Research in Dance Education5(1);46–67.
Damasio,Antonio.1994.Descartes misstag.Stockholm:NaturochKultur.
———.1999.Känslan av att leva.Stockholm:NaturochKultur.
———.2003.På spaning efter Spinoza.Stockholm:NaturochKultur.
Heidegger,Martin.1927.Sein und Zeit.Tübingen:MaxNiemeyer.
Herakleitos.(5/400B.C.)1997.Fragment,translatedbyH.Rehnberg&H.Ruin.Lund:Propexus.
Hermele,Vanja.2007.I väntan på vadå? Teaterförbundets guide till jämställdhet.Stockholm:Premiss.
Jaques-Dalcroze,Émile.1920.Rhythm, Music & Education.Neuchatel:Jobin&Cie.
Jaresand,Susanne.2009.Echange.PerformanceatNorrlandsOperan,December.Clipavailableathttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OJuMskqdmY.
Jordan,Stephanie.2000.Moving Music: Dialogues with Music in Twentieth-Century Ballet.London:DanceBook.
Lopukhov,Fedor.1930.Writings on Ballet and Music.Wisconsin:WisconsinPress.
Metzinger,Thomas.2003.Being No One: The Self-Model Theory of Subjectivity. Cambridge,MA:MITPress.
Sawyer,Elizabeth.1986.Dance with the Music: The World of the Ballet Musician.Cambridge:CambrigdeUniversityPress.
Wallrup,Erik.2002.Nietzsches tredje öra.Stockholm:NaturochKultur.
Reprint from Sound and Score - ISBN 978 90 5867 976 5 - © Leuven University Press, 2013