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Norges musikkhøgskole Norwegian Academy of Music Search

Cadenza — Cre­ate Your Own Solo Cadenza

  • Year of study: One semester, autumn or spring
  • Final assessment: assessment from course instructor
  • Undervisningsspråk: Norsk og/eller engelsk


Course description

The course is aimed at those who seek increased insight into the solo/concert cadenza as a historical form and performance practice, and who wish to impart a personal, creative touch to their main instrument's concert repertoire through self-composed solo cadenzas.

Course coordinator: Strings and Harp Department

Learning objectives

Upon completion of the course, it is expected that the student

  • documents theoretical knowledge and practical skills regarding the history, function, and stylistic-structural characteristics of the solo cadenza in Classicism and Romanticism
  • has an overview of and has compiled a portfolio of relevant historical concert cadenzas for works from their main instrument's standard repertoire
  • Can analyze and critically reflect on existing historical or newly created solo cadenzas
  • can create, improvise, and compose their own solo cadenzas, consciously considering stylistic features and the interpretive possibilities different choices offer
  • has an understanding of the interpretive and communicative potential of the solo cadenza on the concert stage.

Overview

The course is at the intersection of the theoretical, the practical, and the interpretative to illuminate the function, structure, and historical development of the solo cadenza. The primary focus is on the Classical period's concert cadenzas with stylistic highlights primarily from Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, but will also address adaptations of the form in the Romantic and later periods. With the main instrument in hand, the student works on this foundation to create their own solo cadenzas, whether written, memorized, or improvised. The course is interdisciplinary and addresses string players, wind players, and pianists alike. However, instrumentalists who can draw upon an originally written concert repertoire from the Classical period have an advantage.

Structure

The course is taught in groups with six double sessions (90 minutes each) every other week.

Each student will have four (45 minutes each) individual lessons with the supervisor, which take place during the weeks between the group sessions. Here, presentations for the entire group are commented on and prepared for the workshop the following wee

Course requirements

  1. Participation in the scheduled lessons is compulsory. Absence of more than 20% will normally lead to failure of the course
  2. Performing a self-composed solo cadenza in concert, documented with recording

Final assessment

All coursework requirements (arbeidskrav) must be approved prior to obtaining a final assessment.

Students are assessed in correspondence to the learning outcomes of the course. The final assessment will be given as a mark of “passed”/”failed” for each individual student, which shall be determined on the basis of her or his level demonstrated through the course work.

New assessment

Students failing the course will have to apply to re-follow the course for a new assessment. Students may only re-follow the course if there are available places.

Published: May 15, 2020 — Last updated: Apr 9, 2024