Composition and Improvisation

Beeing a jazz musician in Europe means, to make music in the tension between (at least) two different musical traditions. A big part of this tension comes from the two poles of improvisation and composition.

For jazz, improvisation is one of the fundamental characteristics. In improvisation, the interest lies in the spontaneous flow of ideas that doesn´t follow a determined plan, and in the communication between the musicians. Every jazz musician sees himself as an creative artist, who contributes his own part to the overall sound of the band. This attitude has important influences not only on the music, but also on spheres that seem to be far away, like opinions about man and society or the sense of time.

In the classical european music, the composer ist the most important person. The working technic of notating music in scores is the common characteristic of all european music styles from baroque to the twentieth century.

If jazz music in Europe doesn´t want to be superficial, it has to deal with this tradition and the masterworks, that were created that way. The problem is, that the technic of score-writing leads automaically to a form of music, that is contrary to the principles of jazz: in a written composition the time is, so to speak, frozen. It is possible to repeat processes over and over and to take them out of the organic and continual flow of time, as it is felt by the improviser. Also, the playing musicians aren´t allowed to be creative by themselves. They are just tools of the composer, who alone has the right to be an artist. To make possible a repeatable performance, that is true to the ideas of the composer, it is necessary to obtain a strict hierarchy, that sets severe borders to the freedom of the musicians. This disdvantages stand against the enormous possibilities in the fields of form, harmony and orchestration, that can only be used by score-writing.

For the described disadvantages it is possible to have a radical point of view, and to use only improvisation as a musical technic. But experiences with this kind of music show, that clichés are also found here, and that patterns and repeated structures come into existence unwillingly. So I think it is useful to integrate the possibilities of composing into jazz music.

Some jazz composers, for example Klaus König, tried to integrate the improvisational styles of their musicians into the written parts of their pieces. For me, the problem with this is, that the music sounds improvised without actually beeing it. Also rises the problem of the parentage of this kind of compositions. Is it a work of the composer or does it belong to the musician, whose style is used? Finally it is a practical problem, that every performance of the piece has to be played by the same musicians.

So my own concept leads into the opposite direction. In the written parts of my suites “Psalmen und Lobgesänge” (“Psalms and Hymns”) ang “Pangäa” I strive for a dense and clear musical statement, that represents only my own style. In this parts, the musicians have indeed a role that is similar to that of musicians in a classic orchestra. Between this notated parts are extendend places for improvisation. This places are connected with the composition through the groove and the chord changes of the piece, but let the soloist total freedom to create his improvisation. The composed backgrounds behind the solo function as a dialogue between composer and improviser.

This technic of composion allows performances with different musicians, that can be very variable. As a composer I can make full use of the possibilities of writing and develop my own style of composing. In terms of form, a flowing, epic structure is created, in which the different parts of composition and improvisation alternate. This corresponds better with the feeling for form in jazz music than very complex and dramatic structures.

The integration of the european composing tradition into the jazz idiom is clearly one of the most interesting problems for the european jazz scene. Enjoy composing, improvising, and of course listening to all forms of music!

Matthias Petzold
 

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