In this paper I argue that the specific musical authenticity of improvisation in different kinds of music (especially, but not only, in Jazz and Free improvisation practices) consists of what I call ‘being true to the moment’ and that since the artistic success of every musical performance requires performers’ attentiveness and responsiveness to the moment of the performance, improvisational authenticity is the epitome of musical authenticity. I proceed as follows. Firstly I present Peter Kivy’s plural view of musical authenticity and discuss Julian Dodd’s view of musical improvisation as essentially inauthentic. Then, I articulate two notions of improvisational authenticity, ontological and expressive authenticity, which I develop by means of a third, and crucial, notion of improvisational authenticity: truthfulness to the moment, which is the specific way improvisation realizes a fourth kind of authenticity: artistic authenticity. Finally, I argue that improvisational authenticity is paradigmatic for the authenticity of musical performance as performance.

Musical Authenticity as “Being True to the Moment”

Alessandro Giovanni Bertinetto
2019-01-01

Abstract

In this paper I argue that the specific musical authenticity of improvisation in different kinds of music (especially, but not only, in Jazz and Free improvisation practices) consists of what I call ‘being true to the moment’ and that since the artistic success of every musical performance requires performers’ attentiveness and responsiveness to the moment of the performance, improvisational authenticity is the epitome of musical authenticity. I proceed as follows. Firstly I present Peter Kivy’s plural view of musical authenticity and discuss Julian Dodd’s view of musical improvisation as essentially inauthentic. Then, I articulate two notions of improvisational authenticity, ontological and expressive authenticity, which I develop by means of a third, and crucial, notion of improvisational authenticity: truthfulness to the moment, which is the specific way improvisation realizes a fourth kind of authenticity: artistic authenticity. Finally, I argue that improvisational authenticity is paradigmatic for the authenticity of musical performance as performance.
2019
54
3
9
28
https://pjaesthetics.uj.edu.pl/documents/138618288/143854005/PJA-54-bertinetto.pdf/86875a68-0063-4a3e-b250-3e5f344ddf81
Musical Authenticity, Improvisation, Musical Expressiveness, Musical Performance, Artistic Normativity.
Alessandro Giovanni Bertinetto
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/1715200
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