Touch Divided: artistic research in duo piano performance

Abstract

This thesis is situated within the paradigm of artistic research. It is a project in which the practice, processes and products of two-piano and piano duet performance constitute the research context, method and outcomes. The research was conducted through the activity of the Viney-Grinberg Piano Duo, of which the author is a member. The thesis is comprised of a folio of three artistic outputs in the form of recordings of musical performances, which are contextualised in a critical commentary. As a contribution to artistic knowledge, the thesis aims to “assemble” ideas and meanings around the recorded performances as a way of illuminating tacit knowledge embedded in the artistic objects, and to articulate implications of that knowledge for two-piano and duet performance. The research draws on the performative turn in musicology, construing performance as a creative rather than merely re-creative act, and recognising the ontological and epistemological potential of music performance as a knowledge outcome. Artistic research methods underpin the artistic outputs, which are discussed in relation to broader theoretical frameworks. The commentary interprets the outputs in relation to the work of scholars such as John Rink, Nicholas Cook, Vera John-Steiner and Edward Cone. The work of Henk Borgdorff, and the voices of Immanuel Kant and Theodor Adorno inform the conceptualisation of art and knowledge that underpins both the artistic outputs and the commentary. The thesis makes a contribution to new music, duo pianism, two-piano music, piano duet music, and Australian music. The primary contribution lies in aesthetic, tacit and non-conceptual artistic knowledge in the form of the first recorded performances of twelve works, nine of which were commissioned by the duo. The commentary identifies certain types of knowledge particular to the performance acts, inscribed in the recorded performances, and contributes to thinking around the kinds of artistic and discursive knowledge performers can bring to the broader understanding of music. In the context of the history of two-piano and piano duet composition, the research suggests that each medium offers both performers and composers alike a unique outlet for performative and compositional innovation. The concept of the “metapiano” underpins both the collaborative relationship between the pianists, and the musical structures that are composed and performed. Finally, the study suggests that in the context of new music, the development and use of vivid imagery is particularly important in creating first interpretations.