Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia
Abstract
This project investigated the potential of cross-cultural collaboration to germinate fresh interpretative perspective within three differing collaborative performance contexts. First, the joint performance of jazz standards and original jazz repertoire involved negotiating differing notions of style and virtuosity, including perspectives on time-feel, melodic tension, and harmonisation. Second, the preparation of Australian classical chamber works involved negotiating differing understandings of notation, technique, and style. Third, similar challenges revealed themselves even in the performance of canonical works, particularly between western notions of interpretative flexibility (as per historically-informed performance) and Chinese expectations of polish and virtuosity. Across all three models, the results surprised for their charisma and emotive efficacy, and the ease with which surprising stylistic amalgams (preserving traits of both cultures) could be found
