The topic of this artistic research project is the musical performance method where a solo singer conducts an orchestra while singing. The aim is to shine a light on the effect this performance practice has on the quality of the performance; if it hampers the singer’s ability to interpret the lyrics and make theatrical gestures or if the musical performance can possibly benefit from having one person singing and conducting. The core of the project is a concert in Reykjavík organised by this author where she performed as solo soprano and conductor with a chamber orchestra. The research was made from her personal perspective, while the views of instrumentalists also played a significant role. The author observed the internationally renowned soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan as she rehearsed and performed a concert with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra (ISO) at the Reykjavík Arts Festival. For this project the writer enjoyed the cooperation of three composers whom she commissioned to write pieces especially for her to sing and conduct, and together with Zerbinetta's grand aria by Richard Strauss this music was premiered by her and a chamber orchestra at her concert in Eldborg, Harpa at the Reykjavík Opera Days on November 5th, 2022. / <p>Soprano takes the baton!</p><p>In Eldborg, Harpa on November 5th, 2022 at the Reykjavík Opera Days festival finale.</p><p>Ragnheiður Ingunn Jóhannsdóttir, soprano and conductor.</p><p>Program:</p><p>Jóhann G. Jóhannsson: Be not afeard – Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (2022), premiere </p><p>Lyrics: William Shakespeare (Caliban’s Speech from The Tempest)</p><p>I: Be not afeard - lyrics: William Shakespeare</p><p>II: Ekkert að hræðast - translation: Helgi Hálfdanarson</p><p>III: Var icke rädd - translation: Carl August Hagberg</p><p>—</p><p>Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir: Fasaskipti (2022), premiere</p><p>Poem: Þórdís Helgadóttir</p><p>—</p><p>María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir: Djúpalón (2022), premiere</p><p>Poem: Þóra Hjörleifsdóttir</p><p>—</p><p>Richard Strauss: Großmächtige Prinzessin (1912), Zerbinetta’s aria from Ariadne auf Naxos</p><p>Lyrics: Hugo von Hofmannsthal</p><p></p><p>Chamber orchestra:</p><p>Rannveig Marta Sarc (violin), Gunnhildur Daðadóttir (violin), Anna Elísabet Sigurðardóttir (viola), Guðný Jónasdóttir (cello), Xun Yang (double bass), Kristín Ýr Jónsdóttir (flute), Julia Hantschel (oboe), Birkir Örn Hafsteinsson ((clarinet), Bryndís Þórsdóttir (bassoon), Stefán Jón Bernharðsson (horn), Helga Bryndís Magnúsdóttir (piano) &amp; Helgi Þorleiksson (percussion)</p><p>Recording: Stúdíó Sýrland </p><p></p><p>The concert was sponsored by:</p><p>Óperudagar – The Reykjavík Opera Days.</p><p>Tónlistarsjóður – “Music Fund” (Iceland Ministry of Culture).</p><p>Hljóðritasjóður – “Music Recording Fund” (Iceland Ministry of Culture).</p><p>Tónskáldasjóður RÚV og STEFs – “Composers’ Fund” </p>

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The portfolio of compositions comprises six pieces: a chamber opera, an orchestral piece and four shorter chamber works. These pieces are diverse and distinct from one another but collectively explore aesthetic tensions relating to tonality, aura and ontology. The largest piece is a chamber opera setting Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale, which has been flexibly scored as a series of fragments in order to reflect the quality of her text. The remaining pieces draw influence from poetry, landscape and the environment. They all encompass a series of material contrasts but attempt to simply contain these tensions in some way, leaving them partially unresolved. The thesis is a re-assessment of the music of the Ukrainian composer, Valentin Silvestrov, in particular, his 'metamusic' approach to composition that treats pre-existing styles as a form of musical metaphor. Through a series of comparisons with landscape and photography, I offer new vantage points for approaching the aesthetic issues present in his work, relating to aura, imitation and historical reference. The metaphors of landscape and photography might appear far removed from his work, but mediated by the work of the artist Gerhard Richter, offer a basis for critically analysing Silvestrov's approach. Furthermore, by drawing upon the theories of Walter Benjamin, Roland Barthes and the geographer, Stephan Harrison, I demonstrate how concepts from other disciplines can be recast in order to be effective for approaching both Silvestrov and Richter. As a form of conclusion, I consider the role of photography in the production of CD covers and how this relates to the reception of Silvestrov's metamusic in a commercial setting.

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Trataremos de posturas composicionais e interpretativas que abordam a questão da fisicalidade presente na atuação instrumental, em situações nas quais as potencialidades do conjunto executante - instrumento são levadas a situações limite. Isso se dará levando-se em consideração as seguintes variáveis: características intrínsecas do instrumento; interação do intérprete com o instrumento; elementos mecânicos de interferência nessa relação. Serão abordadas, especialmente, obras dos compositores Helmut Lachenmann, Iannis Xenakis, Brian Ferneyhough, Aaron Cassidy e Simon Steen-Andersen. Também será abordada a produção artística do autor do trabalho. / In this work we deal with music, both from the composition as well as from the performance viewpoints, in which the potentials of the relationship between performer and musical instrument are taken to limit situations. This is done with an analysis of the following elements: specific and intrinsic characteristics of an instrument; interaction between performer and instrument; mechanical elements of interference in this relationship. We will approach, specially, works of Helmut Lachenmann, Iannis Xenakis, Brian Ferneyhough, Aaron Cassidy and Simon Steen-Andersen. Recent musical pieces of the author of this work will also be mentioned.

A presente pesquisa se propõe a investigar as características fundamentais da música-teatro de Gilberto Mendes. O trabalho divide-se em três partes. No primeiro capítulo, apresentamos uma ampla revisão bibliográfica sobre o desenvolvimento do gênero música-teatro, buscando sua raiz desde a ideia de Gesamtkunstwerk de Wagner, passando pelas experiências das primeiras décadas do século XX, até seu estabelecimento de fato como uma prática, nos anos 60. Também procuramos promover um diálogo entre a obra de Gilberto Mendes e as pesquisas contemporâneas sobre música-teatro, especialmente com Salzman & Dési (2008) e Roesner & Rebstock (2012), a fim de inserir o compositor dentro da discussão internacional sobre o gênero. No segundo capítulo, investigamos minuciosamente os principais traços constituintes da linguagem composicional de música-teatro do compositor, visando identificar seus processos mais recorrentes e idiomáticos. Por fim, no terceiro capítulo analisamos quatro obras de Gilberto Mendes: Cidade (1964), Son et Lumière (1968), O Último Tango em Vila Parisi (1987) e Escorbuto - Cantos da Costa (2006). Para desenvolver as análises, adaptamos a teoria de multimídia musical de Nicholas Cook (1998), de modo que pudéssemos identificar os tipos de relações e soluções operados por Gilberto Mendes na composição com elementos artísticos de origens diversas. Consideramos que esta pesquisa contribuirá para as pesquisas sobre a música-teatro produzida fora dos grandes centros europeus, além de aumentar o escopo de estudos sobre o gênero no Brasil e, especialmente, sobre a produção de Gilberto Mendes. / This current research aims at investigating the fundamental characteristics of Gilberto Mendes\'s music theater. This work is divided into three parts. In the first chapter, we present a broad bibliographical review about the development of music theater genre, seeking its root from Wagner\'s idea of Gesamtkunstwerk, going from the experiences of the first decades of the twentieth century to its actual establishment as a practice, in the 60s. We also seek to promote a dialogue between Gilberto Mendes\'s works and contemporary researches on music theater, especially Salzman & Dési (2008) and Roesner & Rebstock (2012), in order to insert the composer into the international discussion about the genre. In the second chapter, we scrutinize the main constituent features of the composer\'s compositional language of music theater, in order to identify its most recurrent and idiomatic processes. Finally, in the third chapter we analyze four Gilberto Mendes\'s works: Cidade (1964), Son et Lumière (1968), O Último Tango em Vila Parisi (1987) and Escorbuto - Cantos da Costa (2006). In order to develop the analyses, we adapted Nicholas Cook\'s musical multimedia theory (1998), so that we could identify types of relations and solutions operated by Gilberto Mendes in the composition with artistic elements from diverse origins. We consider that this research will contribute with music theater researches done outside major European centers, in addition to increasing the scope of studies about this genre in Brazil and, especially, about Gilberto Mendes\'s production.

O presente trabalho aborda os 7 Estudos para piano de Gilberto Mendes, utilizando a análise voltada para questões interpretativas. Ao conjugar esse objetivo com o de registrar as técnicas composicionais utilizadas, procuramos relacioná-los com algumas obras anteriores buscando, assim, um maior entendimento da linguagem deste que é considerado um dos maiores compositores brasileiros da atualidade. Reunido esse grupo de obras, e observando-as segundo esses critérios, procuramos elaborar um trabalho que possa servir de incentivo a posteriores pesquisas sobre Mendes e o repertório brasileiro contemporâneo para piano. Acrescentamos também a este trabalho a edição digitalizada dos quatro estudos do autor que permaneciam inéditos, a fim de facilitar o acesso a essas obras ainda pouco divulgadas, bem como a transcrição de uma entrevista com o compositor acerca de seu processo criativo. Acompanha este trabalho um disco compacto contendo gravações de alguns estudos pelo pianista e professor José Eduardo Martins, além de uma conversa entre os dois músicos. / This work approaches the seven piano Études by Gilberto Mendes in an analysis focusing interpretation issues. In combining this objective to that of registering the compositional techniques applied, we tried to compare these pieces to earlier works, looking for a better understanding of the language of this composer who is considered one of the best in Brazil today. Having gathered this group of works and observed them according to these criteria, our aim was to write a study that could encourage further research on Mendes and the contemporary Brazilian piano repertoire. To facilitate access to these less publicized pieces, a digital edition of the four previously unreleased Mendes études has also been added to this work, as well as a transcript of an interview with the composer about his creative process. A compact disc featuring some of the études, interpreted by pianist and professor José Eduardo Martins and followed by a recorded conversation between the two musicians is also enclosed in this work.