Creativity as performance

: on the cultural conditionsof western art music interpretation

Abstract

This thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of creativity in Western music performance. Building upon Glaveanu (2020) and Csikszentmihalyi (1988) cultural theories of creativity, this study focuses on the understanding of music performance creativity as a dynamic and transdisciplinary process. It similarly aims to address the commonly held notion that modern pianists exhibit lower levels of originality compared to previous generations. In order to do this, it will analyse creativity in musical performance from three interrelated and interdependent perspectives: individual, societal, and cultural. From the perspective of the individual creator, I will examine the role of the performer as a co-creator, as well as the notions of interpretation as the catalyst for newness in Western music performance. A comparative case study between eight distinct renditions of the Mazurka op. 59 n.1 by Chopin is developed. The performances were selected from live recordings of the semi-finals of two distinct editions (1980 and 2015) of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw. The objective of the suggested case study is to demonstrate that a single noted musical composition has multiple interpretative truths, so establishing the initial stage for a performance to be deemed innovative. Nevertheless, creativity mostly refers to a cultural designation given to novel artefacts following societal approval. Hence, to examine under which cultural conditions an innovative performance is regarded as creative, the thesis will situate the analysed performances within a performative tradition in Western art music that is passed down orally through generations. Additionally, it will explore the impact of digitalization of recordings archive on the performers in modern society. Finally, to address the social role in selecting the appropriate variants worth being preserved, Ivo Pogoreli 's elimination in the 1980 Chopin Competition will be discussed, analysing the social reactions of specialised critics and audience members. This case will address the concept of transgression as a generative will that fosters the new, and also explore the distinction between an innovative performance deemed creative by field members versus those perceived as bizarre or idiosyncratic. To address the hypothesis of the current homogenization of modern pianists, this study examines musical creativity as a procedural occurrence that is influenced by socio-cultural forces, and unique to different cultures and performing styles throughout history. The conclusion evidences the limiting role that society and cultural traditions have in promoting and embracing innovative interpretations, revealing a paradox between the praise of novelty within Western art music performance and its constricted limits of its acceptance.

Date of Award	24 Jul 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Peter Hanenberg (Supervisor)