The Decline of Improvisation in Western Art Music: An Interpretation of Change

Moore, Robin

doi:10.2307/836956

Cited by 38 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…These results are consistent with the associated fMRI study [26], providing arguments suggesting that improvisation supports audiomotor learning in music performance. The present findings underscore the notion that the gradual disappearance of improvisational task requirements in the field of classical music since the middle of the nineteenth century [58] has had a large impact not only on concert practice but, more importantly, also on the audiomotor characteristics of the musicians themselves. Nevertheless, the high alignment scores exhibited by a small number of score-dependent musicians indicate that, besides improvisation, specific practice strategies may also have an important impact on audiomotor integration [59].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Behavioral Quantification of Audiomotor Transformations in Improvising and Score-Dependent Musicians

2016

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The historically developed practice of learning to play a music instrument from notes instead of by imitation or improvisation makes it possible to contrast two types of skilled musicians characterized not only by dissimilar performance practices, but also disparate methods of audiomotor learning. In a recent fMRI study comparing these two groups of musicians while they either imagined playing along with a recording or covertly assessed the quality of the performance, we observed activation of a right-hemisphere network of posterior superior parietal and dorsal premotor cortices in improvising musicians, indicating more efficient audiomotor transformation. In the present study, we investigated the detailed performance characteristics underlying the ability of both groups of musicians to replicate music on the basis of aural perception alone. Twenty-two classically-trained improvising and score-dependent musicians listened to short, unfamiliar two-part excerpts presented with headphones. They played along or replicated the excerpts by ear on a digital piano, either with or without aural feedback. In addition, they were asked to harmonize or transpose some of the excerpts either to a different key or to the relative minor. MIDI recordings of their performances were compared with recordings of the aural model. Concordance was expressed in an audiomotor alignment score computed with the help of music information retrieval algorithms. Significantly higher alignment scores were found when contrasting groups, voices, and tasks. The present study demonstrates the superior ability of improvising musicians to replicate both the pitch and rhythm of aurally perceived music at the keyboard, not only in the original key, but also in other tonalities. Taken together with the enhanced activation of the right dorsal frontoparietal network found in our previous fMRI study, these results underscore the conclusion that the practice of improvising music can be associated with enhanced audiomotor transformation in response to aurally perceived music.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Behavioral Quantification of Audiomotor Transformations in Improvising and Score-Dependent Musicians

2016

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“…Looking outside my own experiences, into the "real" professional world, the relation between classical music and improvisation also remained awkward, unnatural, almost impossible, at least so it (still) seems from musicological, music historical, and music theoretical discourses (Montuori 2003: 248;Bailey 1993: 19;Moore 1992). But did "classical music" -I use the term here in a broad sense, i.e.…”

Section: Arne Deforce Performing Brian Ferneyhough's Time and Motion mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, Boulez argues that, historically, the search has been for ever finer grids in order to ensure a maximum precision in transmitting the composer's message. This development has led several writers to the conclusion that improvisation almost completely disappeared from Western classical or high-brow music, at least since the (late) eighteenth century (Moore 1992;Bailey 1993;Sawyer 2008). However, this is what Brendel writes in his book Music Sounding Out:…”

Section: Playmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this way a musician becomes intimately accustomed with the stylistic specificities of an improvisatory tradition and is able to experiment with different possibilities within the parameters of its aesthetic. Ultimately, the musician might be able to deviate from and transgress certain conventions and limitations and leave his own mark on some components of that style of improvisation (Moore 1992). In other words, something novel is created out of the negotiation of past experiences in relation to the present situation (Warren 2014: 117).…”

Section: Alain Renaudmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Field of Musical Improvisation

Cobussen¹

2017

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part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the written permission of the publisher. Every effort has been made to comply with the laws regarding copyrights of the images and video and audio materials used in this publication. Nonetheless, whosoever believes to have rights to this material is advised to contact the publisher.

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“…Les modèles théoriques 11 de production de l'improvisation les plus cités dans la littérature sont ceux de Clarke ( Barrett (1998), Brophy (2001), Covington (1997, Johnson-Laird (1991), Kratus (1991Kratus ( , 1995, Monk (2012), Moore (1992), Pressing (1984Pressing ( , 1998, Sarath (1996), Sawyer (2000) et Scott (2007.…”

Section: (1) éCrits Théoriquesunclassified

Revue de littérature des écrits scientifiques portant sur l’improvisation musicale : identification des concepts clés et des recommandations pédagogiques liés à ce domaine

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2015

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Les recherches théoriques et empiriques sur l’improvisation musicale n’offrent toujours pas de réponse satisfaisante à la question qui préoccupe le plus les praticiens, à savoir : « Comment l’improvisation peut-elle être enseignée de manière efficace ? ». Pour répondre à cette question, nous avons effectué une analyse des écrits scientifiques portant sur l’improvisation musicale. Après avoir appliqué la stratégie proposée par Vallerand et Hess (2000) pour sélectionner les écrits pertinents à notre domaine de recherche, nous avons procédé à une analyse de contenu de ces écrits, en suivant le modèle mixte de L’Écuyer (1987). Notre analyse a permis d’identifier les principales composantes cognitives de l’improvisation musicale et applications pédagogiques proposées dans la littérature pour l’enseignement-apprentissage de cette compétence. De plus, cette recension des écrits nous a permis de constater que certaines composantes cognitives de l’improvisation sont mentionnées par plusieurs chercheurs. Pour cette raison, nous croyons qu’elles devraient être prises en compte lors de l’intégration de l’improvisation musicale à la démarche d’apprentissage de l’élève. Par ailleurs, nous avons également constaté que les fondements empiriques des modèles actuels de l’improvisation ne sont pas suffisamment détaillés, ce qui affaiblit leur validité. Ce constat nous amène à conclure que les effets des applications pédagogiques proposées dans la littérature devraient être vérifiés par la recherche scientifique afin de s’assurer de leur efficacité.

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The Decline of Improvisation in Western Art Music: An Interpretation of Change

Cited by 38 publications

References 5 publications

Behavioral Quantification of Audiomotor Transformations in Improvising and Score-Dependent Musicians

Behavioral Quantification of Audiomotor Transformations in Improvising and Score-Dependent Musicians

The Field of Musical Improvisation

Revue de littérature des écrits scientifiques portant sur l’improvisation musicale : identification des concepts clés et des recommandations pédagogiques liés à ce domaine

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