Event Description:

Improvisation was a central part of a musician's training in 17th and 18th century Europe. Many of the great composers whom we revere today were also renowned performers, teachers, and improvisers. However, as musicians began to specialize in various musical subdisciplines, the art of improvisation began to recede to the point that many classical pianists today can play the most difficult works in the repertoire, yet struggle to improvise on a simple tune, such as "Happy Birthday." In recent years, there has been an emerging interest in reviving this moribund art through the rediscovery of the partimento tradition of the 17th and 18th century Italian conservatories, as well as through the cross-disciplinary study of jazz and organ improvisation. This lecture-recital will survey how to improvise over partimento basses and its applications to musicianship training in the 21st century through a live demonstration of improvising a Baroque-style suite.