Exploring Performative Coherence

Abstract

I’ve long been fascinated by the ‘work concept’ in artistic practice. People associate ‘a work of art’ more with substantive outcomes – a piece of music written by a composer, a sculpture made by a sculptor, or a painting created by an artist, etc. But artistic productions vary. As a pianist, any production we could confidently make copyright claim of falls in the field of performance, a seemingly less graspable land but a generous habitat for self-absorbed performers, among which, soloists such as pianists are the most indulgent – notoriously so. To make a performance ‘a work of art’ has been my fascination. Whereby, a vortex of questions follows, one of which the most quintessential: whether this ‘work of art’ should commence on the premise of its coherence (or wholeness) and be driven forward by it. Spotlighted by this interesting question, the focus on Performative Coherence started off as an anchor point for my research. Based on which, the project is engineered into a direction where a misty future awaits, involving no less of the interrogation of a performer’s identity – as it features in every pianist’s self-critique of how, in terms of creativity/artistry, one’s role can be distinguished from a composer – than of the practical knowledge of the preparation for a performance, which should ‘make sense’ for its own existence.

The project is, therefore: a psychological pursuit of self-identification; an anxious inquiry into finding the functionalities of musical passages that work together towards a singular aim; and a motive for a creative interpretation of the musical structure. At this premature stage of my research, I have envisioned a trajectory of both inward and outward directions: through my exploration of the question of performative coherence and the documentation of the changes in both my performance and philosophy towards it, my project, with either a satisfying answer or an even bigger snowball of suspensions, should suffice to improve our knowledge of performance and the execution of it.

Although the project involves public-facing performances, what really kindles the idea of transforming my performative practice into a project is my private need for an ‘artistic laboratory’, where philosophised reflections of my practice can be stored, articulated, and processed. This intimate nature of the project has therefore resulted in less substantial links with the external field. However, the qualitative side of the project does require interdisciplinary research to enrich my understandings in a more holistic way. For example, the Lacanian psychoanalysis features as a quintessential part in both the formation of the idea of performative coherence and the interpretation of musical structure, in which the ‘anxiety,’ the ‘object a,’ and the concept of ‘quilting point’ can be effectively transferred and applied in certain moments in music. The latter concept, for instance, emphasises the constitutive function of hind-sights, which retroactively constructs our understanding of the previous musical passages and can thus be utilised instructively. In addition, there are philosophical research regarding the ‘work concept’ and artists’ identity, where insights from philosophers like Foucault, Heidegger, Hegel, Benjamin, and Barthes, are to be delved into. Apart from these seemingly more remote areas, studies of both ideational and kinetic natures (that aid extensively our interpretative and executive skills), such as deliberations from different piano schools, Schenker analysis, Schoenberg’s Grundgestalt, Lerdahl and Jackendoff’s Hierarchical Music Structure, McCaleb’s embodied knowledge in performance, and Todd’s Kinematics of Music Expression, are expected to feature in the thesis.

My envisioned output of the project would eventually contain a thesis, complementary workshop materials, lecture recitals, and a potential CD. At the early stage, lecture recitals and short articles that focus on the studies of specific cases will be a preferred means towards a more conclusive end.

Bio

Chinese Pianist Yuzhang Li was one of the ten semi-finalists in the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2021 and a Medallist in the Hilton Head International Piano Competition in 2022. Her performance of Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 with Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra after winning the First Prize in Futian Cup Piano Competition was highly praised by Maestro Lang Lang, and reviewed by Shenzhen News as ‘A performance of such composed manner and maturity that exceedingly surpassed our expectation’.

At the age of 14, Yuzhang performed a full set of Etude Tableaux by Rachmaninov in her first Recital. Now as a concert pianist, Yuzhang performs in Europe and Asia extensively. Her major performance engagements included concerts at the Wigmore Hall, Royal Academy of Music, and Steinway Hall in UK, Bechstein KONZERTFLÜGEL in Germany, Yongsan Concert Hall in South Korea, and Central Conservatory, Sichuan Conservatory, Shenzhen Concert Hall, and HUAFA Performance Theatre in China.

She has received recognitions from other competitions throughout the years and collected some top prizes, including the second prize in the Steinway Piano Competition in 2019, the second prize in the “Grotrian” International Piano Competition in 2017, and the Special Performance Award in the Wiesbaden International Piano Competition in 2016.

Scholarships and titles she garnered also indicated her all-round development in musical life. In 2019, Yuzhang was awarded the China National Scholarship, a recognition of her outstanding performance in both artistic and academic spheres. She received a full scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music and was named an ABRSM Scholar in 2021. Now, her new identity as a Tillett Debut Artist since 2023 has added another layer of sophistication to her journey.

Yuzhang was admitted with the best mark to the Central Conservatory in China in 2017, studying With Professor Danwen Wei and Professor Jiajia Shi. After graduating at the top of the class in 2021, Yuzhang started studying with Professor Ian Fountain at the Academy.