Improvising New Classical Music

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Maya Homburger: baroque violin
Barry Guy: double-bass

Several months ago I wrote a couple of posts about incorporating improvised music into Classical music, Bringing Clasical Music into a Modern Age and Blending Expressions - Jazz and Classical Music. Incorporating improvisation into Classical music isn't strictly what these posts were about, but it certainly is an element.

Yesterday, at the Globe and Mail, Tamara Bernstein did a review of the opening of Toronto's Music Gallery. Ms Bernstein speaks highly of both the concert and the concept of the performers using

improvisation in the music to create a delightful evening. The music performed was from Heinrich Biber (1644-1704) and therefore 16th century music, but the performance, with improvisation felt fresh and alive.

Perhaps the most telling comment of the entire article is, "I am convinced that if “classical” music is to survive as a vital art form, its students need once again to be trained to improvise, both in Biber's language, and in musical languages of our time." I couldn't agree more.

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