Lunchtime Concerts 2010-2012

Cross-Disciplinary Interplay between the

Humanities, Technology and Musical Practice

LUNCHTIME CONCERTS DURING THE FALL SEMESTER 2012:

The Aesthetics of Music and Sound FROKOSTKONCERT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2012 Poster available for download here. Program with notes available for download here. SEMINAR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012 RESCHEDULED! PLEASE WATCH FOR THIS SEMINAR AS PART OF OUR SPRING SERIES. ‘Rhythmical Building Blocks’: Creating Creativity Anne Helle Jespersen, Research Librarian in Music, Head of Music Section; Library of the University of Southern Denmark. MA in Ethnomusicology and Cultural Communication. In 2011, Anne Helle Jespersen produced the set of teaching materials, Rhythmical Building Blocks – from J.S. Bach to James Brown together with co-author Marc Bernstein, saxophonist, composer and educator. The book includes a CD and it is aimed at music teaching in primary schools. It presents principles and tools, however, that can be used in a variety of music teaching situations and institutions. In this seminar, Anne will present and discuss aspects of this project: a) the main purpose of the book which is to stimulate children and young people through rhythmical music to be creative, artistic and intuitive b) her role as a communicator and “cultural translator” of the work and teaching of an artist c) the collaboration between artists, higher schools of music in Denmark i.e. music conservatories, and the public school system. Rytmiske Byggesten. Fra J.S.Bach til James Brown Book incl. cd (80 pages, 22 tracks) ISBN: 978-87-7612-681-0 Poster for the seminar available here. Schedule for series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound Schedule for Lunchtime Concert Series

The Aesthetics of Music and Sound   LUNCHTIME CONCERT AND SEMINAR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2012   LUNCHTIME CONCERT 12:00 NOON-1:00 P.M. THE CAMPUS SQUARE/CAMPUSTORVET Campusvej 55, University of Southern Denmark, Odense ADMISSION IS FREE.   Program available as PDF-file here: Posters availabe as PDF-files here and here.                                                                     A seminar in the series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound follows the Lunchtime Concert on November 22, 3:15 -5:00 p.m. in U73:   Wittgenstein and Music Performance as Aesthetic Practice with Tom Eide Osa, Associate Professor, University of Bergen, The Grieg Academy. (Via Skype.) Abstract here. Poster for the seminar available here.   Wittgenstein emphasizes that familiarity with a concept is to apply it correctly in action, knowledge is found in the correct use of the concept. Learning a concept is to obtain proper use within established conventions, to master the practice that is the concept’s grammar. To describe a concept is to clarify the usage rules in the current context. In music performance different sets of ways of playing constitute communities of practice. Being able to play in specific ways in a specific musical context shows that the player has knowledge in his playing. He is conversant with the current aesthetic practice and demonstrates knowledge of and sensitivity to the rules that apply. He is able to apply performance practice conventions to repertoire, such as a specific style in American jazz, Western art music or Norwegian folk music. I understand ways of playing and sets of such as concepts and areas of knowledge. Knowing and practicing ways of playing as concepts are the knowledge in the communities of practice. Music performance cultures can be identified as representatives of historically and geographically localized styles and genres, characterized and constituted by their distinctive ways of playing. Music performance per se can, due to its primary identity as art, to a limited extent be scientifically articulated by words and numbers, or by sheet music. In musical performance there can still be talk of concepts and knowledge, which in practice are articulated nonverbally as sounding music. Such knowledge is to use ways of playing (concepts) correctly in the music performance. A subject didactic approach to the concept of aesthetic practice, offering viewpoints on concept formation, appreciation, judgement and communication in art worlds, will contribute to the understanding of learning and knowledge in music performance.   All are welcome both to the seminar series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound and to the Lunchtime Concert Series.   Schedule for series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound Schedule for Lunchtime Concert Series

The Aesthetics of Music and Sound   THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4: LUNCHTIME CONCERT AND SEMINAR   Lunchtime Concert 12:00 noon -1 p.m. on Campustorvet - The Campus Square - Campusvej 55, University of Southern Denmark, Odense We celebrate our 20th concert in the Lunchtime Concert Series by holding the concert on the Campus Square.   Concert program with program notes available as pdf-file HERE . Poster for the concert available as pdf-file HERE.     Seminar 3:15-5 p.m. in U73   Improving Sight-Reading by Combining Ear, Eye and Instrument   Inge Bjarke, Lecturer in aural training at The Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, Southern Denmark; Educated as a pianist, a piano teacher and a teacher in aural training. The author of three textbooks: Musikkens Grundbegreber (“The Fundamental Concepts of Music”) (MUFO 1991); Rytmer med Toner (“Rhythms with Tones”) (MUFO 1994); SNAPSHOT- An Introduction to Sight-Reading (MUFO 2009, English version 2011)   Sight-reading is an important part of professional musicianship, and to be able to imagine the sound in advance of playing is a necessity for good phrasing and intonation. The connection between sign and sound is trained in sight-singing as a part of aural skills, but to many students, this may be quite difficult, and not corresponding to their instrumental level. It seems as if there is a missing link in the way we learn music - compared to text reading, where the sign immediately gives an impression of the sound.   Learning the language of music mostly happens through playing an instrument, with quite much focus on the technical mastering of the instrument. In this process, the written notes might be seen merely as a sign of where to put the fingers on the instrument, rather than being perceived as symbols of sounds . This one-way access to the music is not adequate for a professional musician, and to achieve an all-round mastering of the musical language, you have to work equally with reading, listening, playing and singing.   To help the student to develop all these skills, I have written the textbook SNAPSHOT – An Introduction to Sight-Reading, which consists of a large number of short exercises and examples from classical, tonal music. My presentation will contain also a demonstration of how to work with exercises from SNAPSHOT, and musicians among the participants are invited to bring their instruments. Poster for the seminar available HERE.   Schedule for series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound Schedule for Lunchtime Concert Series           All are welcome both to the seminar series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound and to the Lunchtime Concert Series.

The Aesthetics of Music and Sound   THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13: LUNCHTIME CONCERT AND SEMINAR   Lunchtime Concert 12:00 noon -1 p.m. in Cafeteria 4, Campusvej 55, University of Southern Denmark, Odensen   Concert program with program notes available as pdf-file here. Poster for the concert available as pdf-file here.     Seminar 3:15-5 p.m. in U73   The Search for Musical Perfection When Preparing a Piece for Recording – Beyond the Musical Score   Morten Heide,  Pianist and Choral Director, NNIMIPA delegate-at-large representing The Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, Southern Denmark (AMDA), Odense, Denmark. http://mortenheide.dk/home   (Expanded version of a talk originally given at NNIMIPA Network Meeting, King's College, London, July 22, 2012: http://www.nnimipa.org/PROGRAM_LONDON_2012_A5.pdf)   After several years of performing Messiaen's music, I decided to record his vast piano cycle Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus/ Twenty Gazes upon the Infant Jesus. 2010 was the year of preparation for this recording which I completed in the early summer of 2011. During the process of preparation, recording and finally the editing of many hours of recorded material, I found myself obliged to make many choices and to engage in much serious contemplation.   My goal with this short presentation is to shed some light on the process I (we) as (a) musician(s) go through when recording a piece of music - from the very first note played (when we perhaps hadn't even thought of recording the piece later on) until the final result. It's not so much the final result that is important in this lecture, but the process, since it's a process of trying to approach perfection. And my idea of the "perfect" Messiaen recording surely differs from that of other musicians or musicologists. As with most other composers there's not just one "true" way of playing Messiaen's music, but several ways.  What then makes a recording "perfect" and might not this aim for perfection when recording Messiaen's music differ from when recording say music of Bach or Mozart? What is perfection in the context of recording ?To what degree is one as a musician obliged to stay true to the musical score and to what extent is one allowed certain freedoms? Does performance practice (tradition) apply to contemporary music like that of Messiaen? When editing, what makes one "take" better than another if both contain all the right notes?   Those were but some of the many questions and considerations that consciously and unconsciously went through my mind during these three steps (preparing, recording and editing) of completing the recording. A lot of this is very difficult to put into words since, as always with music, it's to a great extent a matter of feelings, sense and emotions, of culture and traditions/schools, etc. In other words please don't expect this presentation to provide any final answers regarding the search for perfection in recording, but rather to work towards providing an articulation of some of the relevant questions which should be asked.   Poster for the seminar available as pdf-file here.  .   Schedule for series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound  Schedule for Lunchtime Concert Series           All are welcome both to the seminar series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound and to the Lunchtime Concert Series.

LUNCHTIME CONCERTS SPRING 2012

Gustav Piekut, solo classical piano. Gustav shared second place in the final round of the classical music competition "Spil for Livet" conducted by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) in 2009 and performed on national television.  http://www.dr.dk/DR2/Spilforlivet/Deltagerne/2009/gustav.htm 

February 6, 2011 Update: Program for Lunchtime Concert February 10, 2011 available here; poster availablehere.

     The seminar which kicks off the series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound is entitled ”Aspects of the Philosophy of Musical Performance” and will take place after the lunchtime concert on February 10 14:15-16:00 in U70. The seminar will feature a panel discussion with Gustav Piekut, William Westney (HCA Academy Guest Professorial Fellow SDU 2009-10, pianist – via Skype from Texas); Søren R. Frimodt-Møller (filosofi PhD SDU 2010) and Cynthia M. Grund. Please seehttp://www.soundmusicresearch.org/seminarsspring2011.html for more information. All are welcome!

Thursday,  December 9, 2010, 12  noon - 1 p.m.  in Cafeteria 4, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M

Frokostkoncert i Kantine 4, Syddansk Universitet i Odense

Kl. 12:00-13:00 torsdag den 9. december

Cynthia M. Grund, klaver  Nikolaj Nottelmann, sang og klaver  Søren R. Frimodt-Møller, violin

PROGRAM

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924): ”Après un rêve”(1877)       Søren R. Frimodt-Møller, violin, og Cynthia M. Grund, klaver

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924): ”Sicilienne”(1898)              Søren R. Frimodt-Møller, violin, og Cynthia M. Grund, klaver

J.S. Bach (1685-1750): “Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier".   Nikolaj Nottelmann, tenor, og Cynthia M. Grund,  klaver

Peter I. Tjajkovskij (1840-1893):  ”Bolchefeens dans” fra

  Nøddeknækkeren (1892)                                            Nikolaj Nottelmann og Cynthia M. Grund, firhændig klaver

Leroy Anderson (1908-1975): ”Sleigh Ride”(1946)             Søren R. Frimodt-Møller, violin; Cynthia M. Grund, klaver

                                                                                                                        Nikolaj Nottelmann, håndbjælde

May 13, 2010: Lunchtime Concert on Monday, May 17, 2010 at 12:00 noon with William Westney at The University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Cafeteria 4. Click on picture for poster; program available HERE.