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 multiple dimensions of silence in composed music. By exploring how silence is experienced and enacted, he seeks to uncover new possibilities for interpreting and performing silences. The study questions the contexts that affect musical silences and the silences in which performers and audiences participate, both willingly and unconsciously.

One of the primary arguments of the dissertation is that silence in music is not simply an absence of sound, but rather a performed element that can be communicated through gestures, visual cues, physical embodiments, social behavior, and even architecture. Notated rests, while clear in terms of duration, offer limited guidance for how silence should be performed. Livingston emphasizes that these rests allow for considerable interpretive freedom, and it is through the use of markers—both from within the score and beyond it—that silence can take on multidimensional meanings.

Drawing from interdisciplinary perspectives, including musicology, performance studies, phenomenology, and cognitive science, Livingston creates a theoretical framework to support his analysis. Basing his theories on ideas of Roland Barthes, Elizabeth H. Margulis, Richard C. Littlefield, Barbara Lüneburg, and Salomé Voegelin; Livingston employs a variety of research methods, such as video analysis, waveform analysis, reflective imitation, and re-enactment videos, to explore silences in performance. His study includes a detailed video archive of thirty examples from the 20th and 21st-century piano repertoire, illustrating the diversity and complexity of performed silences.

In addition to this archive, Livingston closely examines three major works: John Cage’s “silent” piece 4’33”, Beethoven’s dramatic opus 111 piano sonata, and George Antheil’s incredibly loud Ballet mécanique. These analyses reveal how different performances, traditions, and contexts shape the role of silence in each piece. Livingston’s comparative analysis of performances of 4’33” underscores how varied approaches to performing silence can influence the audience’s experience, while his study of opus 111 highlights how embodied silences in classical music can be communicated through physical gestures. The investigation of Ballet mécanique emphasizes the forceful, material presence of silence in Antheil’s work, where it functions as an actively tangible material in the composition.

Ultimately, Livingston’s research offers a new lens through which to understand silence in music. His findings have implications for performers, composers, and scholars, shedding light on the ways in which silence can be enacted, perceived, and understood in the context of musical performance. The work underscores the importance of visual and gestural elements in conveying silence and opens up new possibilities for interpreting this often-overlooked aspect of music.

Dissertation Link: https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1712958/2780572

Defense and Concert Dates, Photos, : http://guylivingston.com/phd/