Clavier-Improvization at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
‘Unwritten’ practise
The suppression of unwritten musical practise through increasingly precise methods of notation is a recurrent theme throughout the history of western music. In the 20th century, this process led to the almost complete irrelevance of improvization in the field of classical music. For a musician of the Baroque period, today’s situation, in which the interpretation of written compositions is the centerpiece of concert life as well as musical training, would seem utterly strange. In the 18th century, highly-specialized playing of literature which is the norm today would have been scorned. ‘There are many who can sight-read a piece on the Clavier quite well (...) yes, many can learn rather long and difficult pieces by heart, and then play them: but if they have to play even a few measures ‘out of their heads’ (off the cuff), they break out in cold sweat (...) They are like the nun who can read or sing from the Latin psalter, but doesn’t understand what she’s saying.’ (Georg Andreas Sorge, 1745). The ability to express oneself in the current musical language by means of improvization was not only considered to be part of the ‘equipment’ of any musician worth taking seriously, it was indeed seen as the ‘highest practical summit in music’ (Mattheson, 1739).
Figured bass and its consequences
Despite this fact, for a long time improvization, even in the field of Early Music, has remained in the shadow. The stylistically differentiated reconstruction of figured bass practise effected by Jesper B. Christensen has been instrumental in bringing improvization to the center of interest also for students of historic keyboard instruments. Rudolf Lutz, who joined the faculty in 1990, incorporates the rare combination of extensive professional knowledge, pedagogical flair to incite students to improvize, and an extraordinary artistic ability as an improvizing performer. In 1999 Emmanuel Le Divellec and Markus Schwenkreis, two of his advanced students, joined in to assist in teaching an ever-increasing number of interested potential improvizors. Later David Blunden (until 2006) and Nicola Cumer became part of the teaching team for improvization on historic keyboard instruments.
Improvization as a ‘historically informed’ living code of practise
Since 2004 the ‘Forschungsgruppe Basel für Improvisation’ (Research group for improvization, Basel, also known as FBI) has worked intensively (together with Gaël Liardon) towards reconstructing historic improvization practise, with the goal of guiding the students towards an active and creative approach to the stylistic devices of various periods, helping them to improve their interpretations through a deepened understanding of harmony and compositional techniques. At the same time improvization should be taken seriously as an artistic accomplishment and should be included in concert programs. On the one hand, a revival of the old art of ‘preluding’ must be seen as an essential component of the reconstruction of historic performance practise; on the other, because the art of ‘compositio extemporanea’ is truly effective only in performance. The Master’s Degree program in Improvization provides the opportunity to deal with these issues in a creative way.
Insight into the research projects on the subject of improvization at the SCB will be available in the Compendium Improvization, and a wonderful opportunity for exchanges of ideas is provided by the annual ‘Studientage Improvisation’ (mini-congresses on selected subjects in the field of improvization).
Information about:
-FBI/ Forschungsgruppe Basel für Improvisation / Research group for improvization, Basel
-Compendium Improvisation - a collection of sources and relevant materials
-Studientage Improvisation - mini-congresses on selected subjects in the field of improvization
