"Improvisation is not an introspective art, nor is it a vague one. It is designed for an audience, and its starting-point is that audience’s expectations, which include the current conventions of musical form.”
Nicholas Temperley on Chopin
"Improvisation is not an introspective art, nor is it a vague one. It is designed for an audience, and its starting-point is that audience’s expectations, which include the current conventions of musical form.”
He says it in a "cool" way, but improvisation which is "designed" is an oxymoron. Isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI suppose the idea is that while the process or the product of improvisation is not designed (to a varying extent), the fact of choosing to improvise does itself always have a context and a purpose.
DeleteThanks, Lena.