Improvisation around 1600 - Introduction

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Created by Elam Rotem
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[@KylesWorld2.0]

@1:25 adding ornaments and diminutions @5:11 variations on a given melody/sequence (e.g. passacaglia, partite) @10:25 realizing Basso Continuo/Partimento (i.e. your own composition) @14:53 incorporate a given melody into your imporvisation (e.g. ricecar, fugue, fantasia) @20:02 free improvisation with very few parameters (e.g. toccata)

[@sgerianda]

If only we could bring back improvisation into the curriculum at classical music academies....I found that a whole lot of classically trained pianists cannot play a single tone or 'happy birthday' without sheet music. That is really shame after so many years (decades) at the instrument.

[@AndreaColombo-fx1wh]

But they can play difficult pieces by heart...

[@wardharrison]

truth! And in upper level music schools in the US, not a lot of attention, is paid to the riffing and improvisational aspect of counterpoint i.e. the rules for composition, but also rules for improvisation and good improvisers found one another And rehearsed and had wonderful, sweet, sounding ensembles. It’s a shame that this aspect is not taught much in classical curriculum with its emphasis on Learning pieces as they were written.

[@paulrhodesquinn]

@@AndreaColombo-fx1whA monkey can do that with enough practice. No talent required. Improvisation is a real test of musical knowledge and skill.

[@Nic33rd]

Thank you for making these videos. I'm not a music student or musician, but I find all this pretty fascinating.

[@samsylvester2140]

Then go ahead, it's never too late to become a musician ;-) Even if it's 'only' for your own enjoyment, it's worth it.

[@DonVueltaMorales]

I will play some of this for my class, if for no other reason than to read the T-shirt aloud to them. Very much knowledge and wisdom in this video (T-shirt, too).

[@theskoomacat7849]

The best thing is when you present specific sounds examples! Thank you for the video.

[@NotRightMusic]

A wonderful introduction on improvisation in classical music from this period. In-depth and professional presentation all around. I learned a lot. Thank you!

[@danielharris9403]

All improvisors ought to see this, especially jazz performers/scholars like myself. It's evident how the cadenzas/notated intervals of yesteryear grew into the modern "playing from chord changes". Indian and Eastern classical traditions took a similar approach, with natural or flattened 3rds/7ths/9ths likewise dictating the tonal mood.

[@matthaverly98]

The t-shirt is hilarious.... :)

[@constantinf.stimmer9445]

Indeed a very much detailed and sophisticated view on improvisational techniques in 17th century. The fact that some very common musical forms like toccata, ricercar, prelude etc. can be seen in relation to improvisational purposes can really provide new insights on playing and performing keyboard music from later baroque periods (e.g., Buxtehude, Bach...) Love your videos! Thank you for being extraordinary inspiring.

[@carlosandres7006]

hey, thank you so much, again. This is by far my favorite subscription, a channel i truly LOVE. All of my best wishes for you :)

[@Lamadesbois]

Thank you again for this episode bringing more knowledge to my avid ears. I loved the extract that you played.

[@BenHawkinson]

This is so great! Thanks for giving a well-cited overview.

[@sgerianda]

these videos are ingenious, thank you so much!!

[@marilynmelzian7370]

Thank you for these videos. They are getting me back into a world I have been away from her for too long.

[@ganaelschneider]

amazing! it's nice to have a general view of the different practices, thank you :)

[@wimdaeleman534]

This is absolutely wonderfull information. Many thanks!!

[@michaelfuria4257]

wonderful information. And your T-Shirt rocks!

[@giggianna]

Grazie come sempre. L'argomento è vastissimo e sarebbe stato bello ascoltare qualche esempio in più, ma va bene anche così.

[@jimfowler5930]

How much I never knew! Thank you for teaching me and this information!!

[@BarbaraMarieLouise]

It’s so interesting! As I studies singing in a classical way and also Jazz it’s so interesting to always see more and mor how similar the approaches are!

[@picksalot1]

Such a wealth of useful information set forth in its historical context - your videos are a joy to watch and learn from. Thanks

[@namets]

Thank you very much for this very interesting video!

[@CembaloMontes]

Thank you very much! Very nice and well-documented video!

[@agentorange8888]

Thank you for this helpful video!

[@ChopinIsMyBestFriend]

you are a great man Elam

[@attilakovacs5803]

In our church, the organist always plays "toccatas per elevazione" after holy communion, free improvisation with some intentional dissonances. I was wondering what that meant, now I know! Thank you!

[@mafuaqua]

great! Thanks and keep up your admirable work.

I feel I don't know anything 🥴🥴🥴🥴 hahaha great introduction! Thank you so much

[@MatheusPrabowo]

Another nice video!

[@Ramiroescorial]

Genial ¡Gracias!

[@5viviana3]

Excelente!

[@ThePianoFortePlayer]

This is pretty cool

[@kyle-silver]

16:30 it sounds almost like the practice in Barbershop singing known as "woodshedding" where a quartet is given a set of lyrics, and they have to improvise a line from that and nothing else

[@oderalon]

ye olde clicking the like button even before watching the video :)

[@drocacan]

Great! It is very useful for us in iem2.com where we deal extensively with improvisation in many different styles

[@sandnerdaniel]

Great video! The Escher variation is very trippy. I wonder if it is possible to make the concept into music.

[@castiello_008]

nice shirt!

[@MichaelWilliams-ow9ue]

As a "classically" trained oboist who hasn't had any exposure to classical improvisation and would be interested to learn some older improvisation forms, what resources/treatises would you recommend i look into to gain instruction?

Give a look to the KZbin channel of The Scroll Ensemble

[@pavelns]

great video, really fascinating, helpful and your t-shirt is awesome too!

[@augustomariogoulartpimenta4727]

fantástico novamente. Obrigado pelos videos mais uma vez. A propósito esse vídeo é mesmo uma introdução ? Estão planejados outros videos sobre improvisação ?

[@jiwu2260]

Thank you very much for your Chinese translation!

[@bifeldman]

Wonderful, but as another commenter suggested, sounds examples throughout would be even more delightful and instructive.

[@akumaki88]

Please please PLEASE!!!

[@TheDrunkMunk]

Agreed. It's hard for me to properly understand this sort of thing without examples. A LOT of examples would be ideal.

[@DRBiblicalMD]

His shirt!

[@gilgermesch]

Is that Frescobaldi's Toccata Decima in the background?

[@adrianmathers523]

Could you please do an episode on 'Musica Ficta'?

[@zengier9191]

This is basically renaissance jazz. But with less or no extended chords and stuff. Hahaha

[@sergio0brant]

👏👏👏

[@doristheslug9609]

are we just gonnae ignore his bomb ass t shirt

[@uritibon17]

I'm interested to know what is the largest ensemble that was expected to hold various forms of improvisation - It seems to me that with the rise of the symphony orchestra improvisation as an art went on the decline except for soloists in earlier concertos and solo pieces - leading in the end to todays modern performance practice that hangs on the fact that a performance must "hit all the notes" in order to even be considered adequate - oblivious to the notion that Mozart and his contemporaries (and I wonder about Chopin and other romantic composers who wrote down most of the ornaments) most likely improvised a great deal in live performances as standard practice. When and why did improvisation stop being the main spectacle - the epitomy of the genius of the interpreter/composer - and became a thing relegated to jazz and "ancient music" buffs only?

[@serpentsbane9166]

I have heard that perhaps Classical musicians starting sometime around 1930's, when the last of the Classical era composers died off, that they started to have a strong bias against improvisation. While many would agree (perhaps reluctantly) that Jazz is it's own art form to be respected, Classical musicians in a way, look down a bit on the genre for it's great reliance on improvising, as they put it, while Jazz musicians are mainly concerned with what notes to play, Classical musicians are concerned with HOW to play the notes, and thus, they overwhelmingly are in favor of every last note to be played being determined beforehand as to maximize the the feeling, emotion, and nuance of the piece within the bounds of a pre-existing score only. It is considered that interpretations of works with proper improvisation will, like in Jazz (occasionally,) lead to sacrifice of good technique and skill in order to play new music on the spot. These 2 things (skill and technique) being sacrificed for feel is rather unbecoming of music as from the modern Classical player's perspective, they should rather be maximized in pursuit of feel, not discarded.

[@danyelnicholas]

According to witnesses the 24 violons du Roy played with ad lib inner voices and diminutions until Lully put them under a stricter regime in order to comply with the raised standards of the time.

[@superblondeDotOrg]

that tshirt though 🤐

[@lunar.6091]

Are there English translations of the sources mentioned?

[@JustOdie]

19:22 Would you point me to relevant literature and/or sources regarding the rules for how to set text to vocal music in 16th century? Kindly please?

[@ScholaCantorumSalta]

I was about to ask for the same!

[@EarlyMusicSources]

Check the Grove article "Text underlay" by Don Harran. There he refers to three main sources in the 16th century: Lanfranco, Zarlino, and Stoquerus.

[@JustOdie]

Thanks! I though it would be something obvious... Anyway, please, keep the videos coming, they are a great inspiration! Cheers, a musicology student from the Czech Republic.

[@LudmillaTSF]

See the great 2012 article by Schubert and Cumming, "Text and motif c.1500: a new approach to text underlay". Here academic.oup.com/em/article/40/1/3/402568 or www.jstor.org/stable/41502349?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

[@CarlosGaMaMusica]

Es curioso como siendo yo un pianista de jazz he tocado durante 5 años el órgano en iglesia cada domingo y es el propio rito de la misa el que te empuja a hacer muchísimas cosas aquí descritas, casi sin que te lo digan. Me encantaría estudiar música antigua pero lo único que hay en musica clásica relacionada con improvisar son libros de acompañamiento( Manuel Oltra el mejor en Español) que son más bien preparatorios para una buena conducción. Sin embargo en el jazz no es que haya tanto pero va tan íntegramente ligado que lo aprendes sí o sí. Así que extrapolo como puedo mis conocimientos de improvisación en jazz a la música medieval o renacentista.

[@matthiaspetursson]

what is that artwork from 5:30-6:00? looks great

[@matthiaspetursson]

I found it, Escher's Metamorphosis

[@MattScottMusic]

I assume a “mi mode” means some variation of the “phrygian mode”?

[@EarlyMusicSources]

Yes, check the episode about modes for more info: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqrUZWubrsedkNk

[@kikaidaboy]

"take it to the" where?

[@caleb-hines]

In the discussion of common bass lines and chord progressions... No mention of the Ciaconna or La Folia?

[@EarlyMusicSources]

You are right. Although Ciaconna at that time was a version of a Passacaglia, and although there are some examples, the La Folia as we know it became famous only towards 1700.

[@ecrotti1034]

Early Music Sources But didn’t Frescobaldi write the “Partite sopra l’aria di follia”?

[@EarlyMusicSources]

Yes you are right, he did write a Follia, but it's not the same famous Follia of later times.

[@Omega3131]

Although I see this comment too late, while watching the episode I was thinking about this: music.stackexchange.com/a/45339

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

man the graphi is way too funny haha check at 10:10

[@adamchess4543]

As James Brown said "Measio blow your horn, don't quote me no trash play me some popcorn".

[@contimusic8357]

Amazing, i think you would like my music for your videos as well, perhaps you would be intersted to use my music for your next video? Keep up the good work!

[@pablosorbara2280]

Did I just see a hexagram on top of an octagram!?!?!?

[@tedb.5707]

Sounds like jazz to me. Hmm.....

[@peterjameskirkbride5133]

Well researched presentation; not the best choice of T-Shirt :0

[@beaumuse7890]

Nobody else is talking about his shirt… lol

[@rodrigorodriguez8920]

Great information... too bad I can't show this to younger students... your shirt doesn't pass the dress code... too bad.

[@OlgaStjarna]

Play!!!! Play!!!!! Why you speak all this and never play a sound!!!

[@terryss95]

Because while he speaks, people who are interested in what he says already has in mind the musical content and examples of his arguments, or at least have some mental musical figuration capabilities, therefore don' t need and example of what he said.

[@Xargxes]

Lol, what's wrong with you, you're like a guy coming to a vegetable store, who starts complaining about a lack of cheeses. If you want to listen, you'll find millions of hours on KZbin. If you want to learn, mr. Rotem will provide you with a very rare insight.

[@christopherwarwick5956]

Shame about the t shirt

[@rubberlegs]

Great video, terrible shirt.

[@spoderman15]

that shirt is terrible. I get they are a sponsor but.. they didn't have anything else less obnoxious?