Elisa Novara (Beethovenhaus, Bonn)
Meetings "New Frontiers of Musicological Research"
Martedì 11 giugno, ore 10, Aula Nino Pirrotta
11/06/2024
In the 19th century, the relationship between the practice of extemporaneous improvisation and composition in the sense of the fixation of musical thought took on a different character than in previous eras: while up until the first decades of the century improvisation had always been an integral part of musical education, after 1850 very few composers were also skilled improvisers: composition took place mainly in written form. This doctoral seminar aims to provide an overview of improvisation strategies at the piano in the Romantic era. In particular, we will examine the case of Robert Schumann.
Indeed, as the self-taught composer that he was, Schumann improvised and composed on the piano even before he had an in-depth knowledge of music theory, in erratic sessions of 'Fantasieren' ('improvisations'). During the seminar, we will analyse the remaining evidence of these improvisation sessions, documented by short stenographic notes preserved in his early sketchbooks. What are the creative elements behind his improvisations? And how much of these elements can also be found in his finite compositions?