RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Piano Improvisation in the 18th and Early 19th Century

Coordinator: Giorgio Sanguinetti 

This section includes materials concerning the workshop that took place in Perugia from 13th to 15th April 2023. The workshop focused on the role of improvisation in the performance of piano music from late 18th to early 19th century. Distinguished scholars Costantino Mastroprimiano, John Mortensen, and Giorgio Sanguinetti gave lectures on historical sources, 18th century partimento and Classical improvisation techniques. 

These lectures provided the participating pianists as well as to auditors the essential guidelines for realizing partimenti, improvising cadences, lead-in and fermatas, and extemporizing whole pieces in Classical style. 

The workshop alternated performance-based sessions with theoretical ones eliciting discussions among teachers and participants, exploring the spaces of improvisational action and the stylistically and historically appropriate modes of interaction. 

The videos in this section document highlights of the lectures given by the three lecturers, as well as excerpts from the final concert. The contributions will be published in a volume that will be available on this portal.