Perspectives on Improvisation

Donnerstag, 14. Dezember bis Samstag, 16. Dezember 2023
jeweils 19:00 Uhr

Perspectives on Improvisation
Improvisation in Word, Thought, and Action

mit Angélica Castelló · Michael Fischer · Susanna Gartmayer · Masimba Hwati · Maja Osojnik · Georg Vogel

Concept and moderation: Ivar Roban Križić

Improvisation as a mode of human action remains widely misunderstood. Western thought often likens improvisation to a haphazard solution which is marked by its temporality and instability. The ideal human action lies in the domain of control–the one who is in control of their abilities does not have to improvise. Although we might strive for control and stability, these notions usually turn out to be idealizations of our perceived reality–the world is not secure, and in that sense, it requires of us constant improvisatory inputs. Only if we accept the instability of our surroundings can we successfully navigate the treacherous and everchanging landscapes of reality.

We can observe two important aspects of improvisation which speak against the entrenched perception of the term:

1. Improvisation comes as a result of a complex framework of preparation – In the context of art this includes both standardized knowledge and a broader perspective that attempts to direct consciousness at specific meta-levels of action.
2. Improvisation involves rules – Improvisation is an action that is bound to a specific context. In that sense, as any action, improvisation necessitates a goal.

We can conclude that improvisation is another form of controlled action–a controlled loss of control. Successful improvisation necessitates high levels of rule-adaption and the possibility to continuously provide an answer for a series of unexpected contingencies. During the process of improvisation, the performer continuously shifts between flow states and reflective states, interacting both with their surroundings and their internal cognitive framework.

In the current Viennese art scene, a diversity of artistic practices can be observed that utilize improvisation as the primary method. From jazz to free improvisation and experimental electronic practices in music to various forms of contemporary dance, improvisation has been an essential part of Vienna’s art landscape for decades. The symposium Perspectives on Improvisation aims to provide a format that allows practitioners and protagonists from various fields to critically engage with the topic of improvisation.

In this sense, one of the main goals of this project is to promote a transdisciplinary discourse on improvisation, both to further develop the current Viennese improvisation scene in theory and artistic practice and to form new interaction networks.

Perspectives on Improvisation is planned as a three-day symposium that will take place from December 14th to 16th, 2023, at Vienna’s echoraum. The first part will be structured as an open performative lecture format from two artists, followed by a moderated discussion between the artists and the audience. The evening will conclude with a solo performance by each artist. With this format, we aim to show the fundamental preparatory structure of the respective artists and, through this process, demystify the art of improvisation for both the artists themselves and the participating audience.

Program

Thursday, December 14, 7pm: On Context

Susanna Gartmayer: Association for Experimental Improvised Music –
Monday Improvisers Session at Celeste

Maja Osojnik: to improvise means to learn to listen and learn to make meaning

Friday, December 15, 7pm: On Invention

Masimba Hwati: Argentina 1990

Georg Vogel: 31-tone Claviton – The Evolution of Tuning Systems and the Birth of an Instrument

Saturday, December 16, 7pm: On Structure

Michael Fischer: Instant Composition Conducting – A Praxis for Large Improvising Ensembles

Angélica Castelló: Two Distinct Worlds – Musical Composition and Improvisation

Through this project we will take particular note of the ways in which race, ethnicity, gender, class and power issues condition the production and perception of music; understanding the fact that improvisative musical activity reflects its source – the global transcultural environment. Broadly considered, improvisation provides us with a point of entry for theorizing a wide range of pressing issues of cultural concern: power and resistance, the politics of identity formation, intercultural collaboration, intellectual property rights, social mobility, institutional constraints, multiculturalism, alternative pedagogies, community development, human rights and new networks of human interactions.

The key questions that we wish to deal with in this project are as follows:

How does the meaning of the term improvisation differ between artistic domains and how is it similar?

What are some of the different ways improvisation functions in these domains and what can be learned from their comparison?

How does improvisation mediate cross-cultural, transnational and cyberspatial (inter) artistic exchanges that produce new conceptions of identity, history, and the body?

How does improvisation function as a key element in emerging postcolonial forms of aesthetics and cultural production?

How does improvisative production of meaning and knowledge provides models for new forms of social mobilization that foreground agency, personality, and difference.

The group will ask questions concerning how improvisation expresses notions of ethnicity, race, nation, class, and gender, as well as how improvisative works are seen as symbolizing history, memory, agency, difference, personal narrative, and self-determination.

Susanna Gartmayer: Association for Experimental Improvised Music –
Monday Improvisers Session at Celeste

Founded in 2005 by American free jazz saxophonist Marco Eneidi, this session for free improvisation has been organized collaboratively by Susanna Gartmayer, Thomas Berghammer and Didi Kern since 2015. The 3 pay special attention to musical diversity. Musicians of different generations and genres, professionals and hobby musicians, students of classical/jazz/contemporary music and also some famous world stars play there. They all make music together on one level and can get to know each other and exchange ideas at this weekly event. http://gartmayer.klingt.org

Maja Osojnik: to improvise means to learn to listen and learn to make meaning

I see improvisation as a key creative force that flows through any activity that we engage in–composing, practicing, teaching, playing or just creating anything in our everyday life–all the activities are imbued with improvisation. In my contribution, I want to address the universality and the importance of improvisation in creation and show how I use it as a method foremost coupled with learning how to listen, as a method in various context, from teaching improvisation and composition, through composing myself, to working with different ensembles and co-creators. http://maja.klingt.org

Masimba Hwati: Argentina 1990

Growing up in Highfield, Harare in Zimbabwe, we had an industrial dump site that we called “Argentina”. As kids this place was our playground where one could find rejects of toy parts that came from a nearby toy factory. We fixed and repurposed these into strange new creations. This culture and place of resourcefulness was my first academy of improvisation.

Georg Vogel: 31-tone Claviton – The Evolution of Tuning Systems and the Birth of an Instrument

Georg Vogel, a renowned musician, composer, and instrument maker, will delve into the captivating tale of how centuries of tuning systems shaped his artistic vision and ultimately led him to design a groundbreaking instrument. Georg will share how historical tuning systems have left indelible marks on his own compositions and improvisational style, demonstrating how the quest for new harmonies has been a driving force in his creative process. We will gain insight into the way in which the construction of this innovative instrument, with its 31-tone per octave Claviton system, opened up new sonic possibilities, allowing Georg to realize his artistic vision in unprecedented ways. Through this process, we will discover how the symbiotic relationship between the instrument and the artist’s improvisational skills has redefined the boundaries of music. Georg will explore how the instrument shapes his improvisatory process and, in turn, how his improvisation informs the ongoing development of the instrument.

Michael Fischer: Instant Composition Conducting – A Praxis for Large Improvising Ensembles

Within an oscillating process musicians/ensemble and the instant composition conductor create ad hoc compositions. With a vocabulary of hand signs for dynamics, pitch, tempo, duration a.o., an architecture of a music piece is formed, balanced and designed by the conductor. – On the basis of freely improvised music, the musicians interprete these signs with their personal individuality and musical experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeq4_eRWF1A

https://www.viennaimprovisersorchestra.org/

Angélica Castelló: Two Distinct Worlds – Musical Composition and Improvisation

In the realm of music, there is a prevalent notion that musical composition and improvisation should either naturally complement each other or, conversely, adhere to an established hierarchy where composition holds a superior position. However, despite their shared objective of organizing sound, these two practices diverge significantly in practice. This discussion aims to uncover their unique characteristics, emphasizing the profound differences between them. I view these two musical forms as entirely separate continents within the musical landscape, and, in my opinion, they are often incomparable. By recognizing the distinct creative essence of each, we can dispel the need for hierarchical judgments rooted in misunderstandings.

http://castello.klingt.org