Dramatising the score: an action research investigation of the use of Mozart’s Magic Flute as performance guide for his clarinet Concerto

With this project we tried to go beyond the score, looking for alternative sources that could help in the performance of a piece. In order to do this we worked with Mozart’s clarinet concerto with the assistance of five conservatory clarinet students over a period of two months. Adopting the research techniques of an action research project we created a study method that helped to better understand the concerto, seeing the music like a large theatre play where the characters interact telling a story, and in doing so, giving a greater meaning to what we try to communicate. In doing this we transformed the concerto into a ‘Magic Clarinet’ Opera. In the conclusions we refer to several psychological theories, suggesting that this method might benefit performance students at all levels