PARC Sound Walk

Silent Listening Walk on November 22, 2024 The Hague is a very unusual urban landscape. I’ve always been intrigued by its discretion. So much is hidden from the public – there is a secretive aspect to this city of politics and walls and diplomats and finance and hidden wealth. Plus seagulls, trams, pigeons, some water, and always wind. Let’s take a walk together through the centrum, and listen to the city, as if it were a musical composition – it’s a great way to discover more than meets the eye.

/read more.../

Samenvatting

In dit onderzoeksproject heb ik geëxperimenteerd met de uitvoering van stiltes. Wanneer een uitvoerend musicus zich bewust wordt van de rol die stilte speelt (hoe stilte zich gedraagt en wat stilte doet) kunnen er nieuwe ideeën voor het uitvoeren van stilte ontstaan. Welke contexten kunnen muzikale stiltes beïnvloeden? Aan welke stiltes nemen uitvoerende musici of toehoorders (on)vrijwillig deel? En hoe kunnen uitvoerende musici omgaan met de diverse dimensies van stilte in gecomponeerde muziek? Deze onderzoeksvragen, geworteld in de uitvoeringspraktijk, vormen de basis voor mijn verkenning van het verband tussen genoteerde

/read more.../

Dissertation Summary (english)

In this research project, I have experimented with the performance of silences. When a performer discerns the role that silence plays (how it acts and what it does), new ideas may emerge for performing silence. What are the contexts that potentially affect musical silences? What are the silences in which performers or audiences willingly or unwillingly participate? And how can performers engage with the multiple dimensions of silence in composed music? Through these research questions, rooted in the act of performance, I have explored the relationship between notated rests and

/read more.../

Press Release: Completion of PhD Research on the Performance of Silence

Leiden University, December 10, 2024, 13h00 In his dissertation, Performing Musical Silence: Markers, Gestures, and Embodiments, Guy Livingston investigates the role of silence in music performance, focusing on the relationship between notated rests and “audible” silences. Central to the research is the introduction of the concept of “markers,” which are cues—whether audible, visible, or embodied—that communicate information about silence and sound to both performers and audiences. These markers can shape or summon silence, affecting its perception and interpretation in performance. Livingston’s research is rooted in performance practice and examines the

/read more.../

New Podcast about Silence (in Dutch)

‘Ssst, een podcast over stilte’ is een project van Joost van Pagée en Marieke van de Ven van audiocollectief Horens. Joost is natuurcoach en tevens stiltezoeker en beoefenaar. Marieke is geluidskunstenaar. Beiden zijn podcastmakers. ‘Ssst’ gaat over de verscheidenheid van stilte in al zijn vormen en gedaanten. Over het ontbreken van geluid, over het vinden van rust, over aandachtig luisteren, over de natuur en over de kunst van het niets doen of niets denken. Vanuit persoonlijke interesse en nieuwsgierigheid gaan de makers in gesprek met stiltekenners, kunstenaars, wetenschappers en anderen.

/read more.../

extra media page for Guy’s Presentation (Linz)

References Barthes, R. (2005). The Neutral: Lecture Course at the College de France (1977-1978) (R. Krauss & D. Hollier, Trans.). Columbia University Press. Beethoven Sonatas Pollini DG 4838250 [SG] Classical Music Reviews: March 2020—MusicWeb-International. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2024, from http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2020/Mar/Beethoven_Pollini_4838250.htm Beethoven Sonatas Richter BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94399 [RMo]: Classical Music Reviews—March 2013 MusicWeb-International. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2024, from http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Mar13/Beethoven_Richter_94399.htm Brendel, A. (1976). Musical Thoughts & Afterthoughts. Robson Books. Fischer-Lichte, E. (2008). Reality and Fiction in Contemporary Theatre. Theatre Research International, 33(1), 84–96. Cambridge Core. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0307883307003410 Greenleaf, C. (2010, April

/read more.../

Lecture on Markers for Performed Silence (in Beethoven)

DFSMT 25th Anniversary Music Theory Conference: presentation entitled, “Embodied markers for silence” (Amsterdam Conservatory, March 2, 2024) These images illustrate embodiments of silence in Beethoven’s opus 111 piano sonata (first four bars): References Barthes, R. (2005). The Neutral: Lecture Course at the College de France (1977-1978) (R. Krauss & D. Hollier, Trans.). Columbia University Press. Brooks, W., Hornby, E., & Doctor, J. (2017). Silence, Music, Silent Music (N. Losseff, Ed.). Routledge. Cage, J. (1961). Silence: Lectures and Writings. Wesleyan University Press. Hodkinson, J. (2007). Presenting Absence: Constitutive Silences in Music

/read more.../

Guy Livingston performs with the Zürich Ballet

https://www.opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/timekeepers/ Under the choreographic direction of Meryl Tankard, the Zurich Ballet presents a new version of Ballet mécanique, entitled “For Hedy.” The performance is scored to music by George Antheil, arranged for piano and 64-channel electronics by Paul Lehrman and Guy Livingston; and performed at the piano by Guy Livingston. Nine performances of “Timekeepers” at the Zurich Opera House as follows:20, 21, 26 January2, 4, 9, 17, 18, 23 Februaryprogramme: For Hedy, Les Noces, Rhapsody in Blue TimekeepersThe «golden» 1920s have gone down in history as a time of ecstatic

/read more.../