środa, 25 kwietnia 2018

"THE CONCEPT OF A DUO", OUTLINE


Prof. Jerzy Marchwiński


THE  CONCEPT OF A DUO

          This essay is not intended as a collection of textbook phrases, guidelines  or  advice.   I  hope that my kind audience and readers are ready for a set of  highly subjective reflections on the fascinating relationship between performers  which is  a duo.
          It seems that one  can either live alone or in a relationship with others.  I do not see any other option.  And a duo, that is   two persons being together, is the most basic arrangement of togetherness; amplified, it can reach the dimension of a nation. 
           This division is also true for the world of music.  A musician can either play on his own, or with others.  No other option is available.  Duo is the smallest possible ensemble, and it can expand into larger ones, up to the level of the grand philharmonic orchestra.  
          Consequently, a soloist  is the only musician who plays a piece on his own, performing all its components (although a music work is a unity, it consists of many elements: melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, dynamics, agogics, articulation, form and emotional contents) and taking full responsibility for it, without any external assistance or involvement.  All the others perform  in a team  and therefore count as ensemble performers.  
          The partnership between two performers who enjoy their freedom seems to me the most efficient and creative relationship between ensemble artists.  The relationship between them is structured by the composer who determined the distribution of leading and accompanying elements. The performer of the leading element is at that moment the star, and the performer of the accompanying element  plays a secondary part.  In most of the works, these roles interchange. After a few bars during which  one of the artists is clearly a leader, almost a soloist, a switch occurs and he turns into a subordinate character performing the accompaniment. 
          The  soloist/accompanist arrangement is clearly the  antithesis of partnership. In such arrangement one of the performers plays  by definition as a soloist, enjoying a privileged position, and the other takes up the subordinated role of an accompanist which has attracted many negative connotations. 
          The traditional education of a musician and pianist in particular focuses on solo performances to a considerable extent. The education in ensemble work is provided out of courtesy and  it still remains marginal. 
          I view it as very unfortunate, as in my opinion the ultimate goal of educating a musician  includes, in varying proportions, the ability to perform solo and in an ensemble.  Obviously, such proportions depend largely on one’s aptitude and personal interests. 
           The education of a soloist, all and any style differences considered, is based on a uniform  foundation and character. This concerns also the ensemble education, apart from the obvious instrumental and aesthetic differences.  
          Essentially, a duo of  pianists does not differ from a duo of a pianist and a singer or a pianist with an orchestra understood as a single instrument. The list of basic duties and obligations which are expected from the partners is identical for all ensemble performers.  

·       Professional skills of artists on all the three levels: pupils, students and mature performers,  are an obvious expectation and will not be discussed here. I have never had a problem in  formulating varied instructions to persons from each of these groups: pupils,  students of my master classes and   independent, mature artists who approached me for advice or evaluation. 
·       It is necessary to be perfectly prepared already for the first rehearsal with the partner.
·       It is not only  necessary to learn one’s own part, instrumentally and structurally, but to get well acquainted with the partner’s part – in other words, with the whole musical work. 
·       I recommend emphatically to focus, right from the first contact with the work, on the goal of  playing by heart.   
·       One should respect the expectations of   partnership which in brief include the following:  joint responsibility for the whole performance, respect for the partner, openness to dialogue, readiness to accept the differences of the partner,  the inside space, the ability to hear oneself and the partner simultaneously,  the culture of togetherness, the confidence in the partner, the ability to accept  compromise and a skill of  tactful tension /problem solving.
·       I truly recommend that the professional skills and dispositions of the partners should be on a similar level. A disproportion between them creates a difficult and graceless situation, such as a piano duo of Martha Argerich and Alexander Rabinovitch. She was phenomenal and he mediocre.  Martha’s phrases are exquisite but when Alexander repeats them, boredom descends. 

          I chose not to discuss any  interpretation and aesthetic aspects, as  de gustibus non est disputandum. The above list may serve as a  reliable foundation for the success of a duo, at least to a considerable extent.  Actually, it can be applied to any  ensemble performance. It provides staunch foundation for the  spontaneous development of the natural desire to interpret music and undertake aesthetic choices.

          At this moment, it may worthwhile to discuss the natural selection. It happens quite often that two able or even talented performers who are perfectly prepared professionally and are full of good intentions, just cannot reach an understanding. Perhaps it is due to the mentality, sensitivity and character, just   as it happens in ordinary life?   Why two people who are good  and sensitive enough, simply  cannot live together?  I seek the answer in vain! It seems to be a part of the mystery which is a human being.  Perhaps it should stay undisclosed?!

Email : jmarchwinski@gmail.com
Blog: Jerzy-Marchwinski.Blogspot.com 

Warsaw, February 5, 2018



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