Tormod Dalen: Zum Spielen und zum Tantzen

Field of study: Performance Practice (Cello)

The dance titles of J. S. Bach's cello suites, derived from French court dance, clearly meant more to the composer than just abstract references. In Bach's time, dance practice permeated social life, and an intimate knowledge of fashionable dance forms was indispensable for a musician. The movements and gestures of these dances inevitably had a profound influence on performance style. Dalen has investigated how the practice of Baroque dance could influence his interpretation of the Bach suites. Learning the essentials of this style and its original choreographies and frequently accompanying dancing, he also explored the dance aspect of the cello suites by way of experiments with historical tempos as well as melodic and rhythmic reductions of the musical material.

Through this project, Dalen hopes to make a worthy contribution to the development of performance practice studies, offering a recontextualisation of Bach’s work that emphasises the close links between the expressive gestures of music and dance. The results have both artistic and pedagogic potential as tools to discover essential aspects of dance character in Baroque music.

Documentation

Full title: Zum Spielen und zum Tanzen. A kinaesthetic Exploration of the Bach Cello Suites through Studies in Baroque Choreography.

Artistic Result

• "Inspired by Dance – a kinaesthetic exploration of J.S. Bach’s cello suites – a musical- choreographic performance, " presented 19. august 2012 in the Lindeman Hall at NMH.
• A CD recording “Inspired by Dance” - Johann Sebastian Bach 3 Suites a Violoncello Solo senza Basso, recorded in November 2012 (Suitte 1re BWV 1007, Suitte 2me BWV 1008, Suitte 3 BWV 1009

Also included in the documentation:

• A DVD with recordings from the process 2009-2013
• CD with Suite 1, recorded in 2010 and Suite 3, innspilt i 2008.

Written documentation

The critical reflection «Zum Spielen und zum Tantzen. A kinaesthetic Exploration of the Bach Cello Suites through Studies in Baroque Choreography” (85 pages).

The project is documented in the Research Catalogue and in NMH's digital archive Brage.