Guerino Mazzola (Spring 2012 © ): Music 5950 Topics in Music: Performance Theory THE ART OF NOW THE ART OF NOW (Mo Jan 01) (First thoughts about the performer’s space-time )

Guerino Mazzola (Spring 2012 © ): Music 5950 Topics in Music: Performance Theory time The Performer’s Space-Time There is a serious diecrepancy between the artistic concept of the performer’s presence and the scientific description of presence in terms of physical space-time: The latter only allows for an infinitesimally short spot on the time axis! PRESENCE

Guerino Mazzola (Spring 2012 © ): Music 5950 Topics in Music: Performance Theory space real time A Solution: Stephen Hawking’s Complex Space-Time The physicists Stephen Hawking and Itzak Bars have proposed to add a second dimension to time to solve fundamental problems of modern astrophysics relating to the Cosmic Big Bang imaginary time PRESENCE

PRESENCE why? flow of structures retrieve plan What does happen in the preforming artist’s imaginary space-time?

BALANCE what? interface of bodies musician sound interface = the instrument

DANCE how? space of gestures catch make

Performer’s Imaginary Space-Time: Action: The balanced dancing presence Agent: Beautifully determined responsibility flow of structures retrieve plan space of gestures catch make interface of bodies musician sound DANCE PRESENCE BALANCE why? how? what? DETERMINATION: knowing how why RESPONSIBILITY: knowing why what BEAUTY: knowing how what The performer in his beautifully determined responsibility, displays a balanced dancing presence