The history of piano improvisation in Western concert music.

摘要

This study examines the historical significance of piano improvisation in Western concert music. Improvisation has existed since the beginning of music and has been, especially for keyboardists, an essential part of musicianship. Today, the art continues among organists and jazz musicians, but unfortunately, training and performance opportunities are limited among classical pianists.;The purpose of this study is twofold. The main purpose is to present the type of piano improvisation practiced during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and to discuss the art's gradual decline during the twentieth century. The second purpose is to clarify the definition of improvisation and to give examples of how the art was taught in the past. Many times, improvisatory skill was considered a special talent that a few privileged musicians possessed. Talent is undoubtedly very important, but many pedagogues in the past agreed that through systematic study and diligence, any musically inclined student could acquire improvisation skill of a sufficient and fluent quality.;The study begins with the definition of improvisation and proceeds to the historical survey of the art. Because eighteenth-century keyboard improvisation did not differentiate among harpsichord, clavichord, and pianoforte, the survey begins with pre-piano improvisation practices. The improvisation styles being examined include melodic embellishments, variation, thoroughbass, prelude, toccata, fantasy, cadenza, and Eingange. Some anecdotes about famous improvisers such as C. P. E. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Liszt are also included.;The second half of the nineteenth century saw the gradual disappearance of improvisation until it became virtually nonexistent in classical piano performance. Among other factors that may have contributed to the decline of improvisation practice were separation between composer and performer, changing musical styles, and the rise of new types of virtuosity. Twentieth-century musical training and performance consist mainly of the interpretative and re-creative aspects of music making.;This study concludes that the study of improvisation provides not only the opportunity for self-expression through music but also the tool for acquiring a deeper understanding of music. It closes the gap between music theory and its application by developing sensitivity to the melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and formal structure in music.