There is often a sharp line perceived between the practice of improvisation and the practice of Western Art Music. One is seen as spontaneous, risk-taking and live, and the other is seen as the art of perfection, of reproduction and interpretation. Collectif Trytone believe, like Nadia Boulanger, that no sharp distinction should be made. Even though the compositional fabric of Bach’s music is arguably the pinnacle of human creativity, why should it be viewed as untouchable, sacred, like a museum artefact? Even the early music revolution in the 1970s, with its emphasis on research, sources and performance on period instruments, promised no definitive answers about Bach’s sound world.
