Improvisation in Western Classical Music:
A Revival of Creativity and risk-taking
The art of improvisation, which once was a core part of classical music, is currently experiencing a renaissance. Historically integral to both composition and performance, improvisation offered musician a medium to connect with their audiences ad express their individual creativity within the structural and stylistic frameworks. Re-integrating these elements with our modern performance practice both acknowledges this historical precedence and advocates for a more vibrant, evolving dialogue in today’s concert culture. While the reintegration challenges the predominantly score-bound performance mindset of the past century, equipping solo and ensemble musicians to explore their spontaneity and expressive potential through improvisatory techniques can have unexpected and liberating consequences. By embracing an improvisatory approach, classical musicians can explore a more playful and creative mindset, enhance their interpretative palette, connect to works of beloved composers on a deeper level, and foster emotional exchange with their audience.
Historically, musicianship integrated skills of performing, improvising and composing. Improvising allowed musicians to express spontaneous creativity related to compositions as well as free musical structures, thus making each performance unique. The 20th century saw a shift towards a more interpretative approach, prioritizing so-called fidelity to the written score and diminishing the role of improvisatory skills. The decline of improvisatory practices can be attributed to several factors, including the rise of recording technology and the canonizing of the repertoire. As recording music became commonplace, live performances became less unique, and musicians, swept up by self-criticism, started focusing more on technical perfection and accuracy, with possible mistakes or moments of weakness now being recorded. During the 20th century, the idea of musicians as interpreters (rather than creators) started to prevail - overlooking the fact, that throughout most of the composed canon, both composers and audiences would have fully expected the musicians’ creative input in performances of written works.
Thankfully, recent decades have witnessed a growing interest in reintegrating improvisation back to classical music. Musicians and scholars alike recognize its potential to enhance emotional engagement and create a more dynamic concert experience. Haustein’s doctorate research explores this revival from a performers’ perspective, reviewing historical concert culture precedence and emphasizing improvisation's role in deepening the connection between performers and their audience, and seeking pedagogical pathways to re-learn what has been lost.
As documented in Haustein’s work, embarking on the journey presents its unique set of challenges. The process requires not only developing deeper understanding of musical structures and theory but also the courage to let go of the safety net that the written score provides. Musicians must cultivate a deep sense of trust in their own musical instincts, a skill that can at first be daunting to develop. However, this can lead to a new level of musical freedom and supporting performers in communicating with their audience on a more personal and intimate level. The practice challenges performers to extend beyond the notes on the page, inviting a simultaneous ‘composing-and-performing’ mindset together with spontaneity and personal expression through creative risk-taking. Improvisation also demands a high level of musical understanding, flexibility, and communication among ensemble members, fostering a collaborative creative process that can enrich the performance. However, these are also important life skills, which are vital to professional proficiency in today’s musical marketplace. Addressing this gap, educators are starting to see the need for developing pedagogies that guide future musicians towards structural and stylistic improvisation ability, aiming to equip students with a broader and more holistic musical skill set.
Finally, a warning: improvising together with others can be a lot of fun. Joining the movement of reintroducing improvisation to classical music spaces may bring experiences of joy, whimsy, and a deeper understanding of music as a living, breathing art form. Improvising with others may cause unexpected human interactions, it may cause humorous and human levels to emerge in all music-making, and create empathetic connections with each other, our beloved composers, and our audiences. Be aware!