The craftartism of collaborative piano: Halina Znaidzilauskaitė’s interpretive parts

Doctoral student: Agnė Jurkūnienė
Supervisors:

Abstract

Aprašymas: The dichotomy between art and craft or synonymous use thereof in the accompanist’s practice, depending on one’s standpoint, is traditionally determined by the pianist’s auxiliary function within an ensemble, playing but a supporting role to the soloist. This view is historically grounded when we analyse music literature written before the 19th century. But the newly introduced and flourishing genres of 19th-century vocal music, such as German Lied and French mélodie, offer new possibilities for the art of piano accompaniment to assume an equal status within an ensemble, which led to the emancipation of accompaniment as a separate branch of study and practice in piano performance. Unfortunately, there is still a strong tendency within the music community to underestimate or overtly neglect the importance of the art of accompaniment, aggravated by the entrenched inertia of status hierarchies. The detailed analysis of various aspects related to the work of the accompanying pianist in focus with Lithuanian collaborative pianist Halina Znaidzilauskaitė clearly demonstrates that there can be no art of the accompaniment without craft, like there should be no craft which does not aim to evolve into art. Such evolution, I might add, is the natural outcome of any performing art.