Komponieren aus dem Stegreif

Situation

Improvising skills were a core aspect of piano training in the 19th century. In order to ascertain how these were taught and learned, this research project is analysing textbooks and compositions from that period to identify implicit methodological structures that were intended to develop improvisational skills besides actually teaching people how to play the piano. The project also aims to use various means to reconstruct the significance of improvisational practices during the period under investigation.