Phenomenology of music
Three weeks on phenomenology of music with Konrad von Abel
March 14 - April 6 2012 in Craiova, Romania
Conducting classes with orchestra and chamber ensembles, lessons, concerts, associated rehearsals and more ...
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Konrad von Abel 's teaching
Konrad von Abel’s teaching focuses on the music phenomenology developed by Sergiu Celibidache. It aims at helping each musician to establish a direct contact with music through the observation and free listening of sound phenomena unhampered by conceptions and conventions. Classes consist of phenomenological discussions in the morning, chamber music practice in the afternoon, and work of the conducting students with a string quartet, instrumental ensemble or choir in the evening.
The Master Classes are organized around three to four pieces. Participants are asked to familiarize themselves with the scores of the pieces selected for this class as they will be used as support for the theoretical work in the morning as well as for the conducting classes.
Students have experienced that the teaching of Konrad von Abel is not reducible in taking part in classes and lessons. All the striving of knowledge and skills about music will lead to nothing as long as one doesn't get in touch with what we call the "inner laws of music". In the nature of this subject teaching and learning happens so to say permanently. In addition to this you will find dates of events and schedules for the next months. Included are concerts of Konrad von Abel with extensive orchestra rehearsals. Participation is most warmly recommended. In this context a rehearsal is more than just a preparation of a concert but a research of the laws mentioned as above.
> upcoming master classes
Beyond the sound
The challenge is to not be lost in a concept as it is easily the case when trying to explain musical phenomenology. On this page we offer the possibility to witness this approach based on Sergiu Celibidache and will regularly provide related texts, video and audio.
Transcripts
> Questions and answers
Questions and answers between Konrad von Abel and students, master class Targoviste, 2009 (language: English)
Video online
Phrasing permits the qualitative step from the randomness of a sounding structure to the living of its unequivocalness. Only through a connecting human consciousness can all the successive musical phenomena be correlated, so that in any moment of the musical process the unique relation to the whole becomes obvious both to the performer and to the listener. watch FLASH video:
Rehearsals in Bacau 2009, Romania - Variations | Johannes Brahms >
HERE
The conductor's gesture is the result of the necessity of expression in every moment of the musical process. It is materialized on the basis and in function of physiological and psychological facts.
The ideal gesture cannot be found abstractly, but rather it arises in the Now in function of the tension between what brought us till here and what will come out of this moment. We cannot fix and practice the gesture for a specific piece since it corresponds to the uniqueness of what we live in the present. Therefore it is the result of an alive creative process and can by no means be fixed by external or intellectual definitions. The gesture has as main task to enable each one of the musicians to experience the continuity between what has already sounded and what will sound. The most important condition is the permanent orientation in the whole, the living of each moment in its specific function of the whole. watch FLASH video:
Rehearsals in Bacau 2009, Romania - Firebird |Igor Stravinsky >
HERE
"The conductor's function is not in controlling the musicians ..." (Konrad von Abel)
WATCH FLASH VIDEO Excerpt III > HERE
"Studying a piece: How to find the meter and the figure?" (Konrad von Abel)
WATCH FLASH VIDEO Excerpt III > HERE
Excerpt of the International Master Class for Orchestral Conducting
(Budweis, Czech Republic, 2008)
"Get in contact with what happens.. ..Only if you are aware of the whole richness (of the piece)
there is a perspective that leads you further on."
WATCH FLASH VIDEO Excerpt I > HERE
Excerpts of the Conductors' Weekend (Munich, May 2010)
WATCH FLASH VIDEO Excerpt I > HERE
WATCH FLASH VIDEO Excerpt II > HERE
WATCHFLASH VIDEO Excerpt III > HERE
Excerpts of the International Master Class for Orchestral Conducting
(Budweis, Czech Republic, 2007)
WATCH QuickTime VIDEO stage I > HERE
WATCH QuickTime VIDEO stage II > HERE
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