Intention revisited: From composition to performance

Within the context of Western art music performance, intention is a fundamental key concept, generally viewed as a representation of the composer’s creative and interpretative intents. Even though intention is considered a decisive factor in performance, the focus is placed on the composer, and the performer’s own range of interpretative choices has been neglected. This issue is especially pertinent in collaborative work between composer and performer(s) in the interpretation of contemporary repertoire, often informed by the intentional contribution of both parties. This research focused on a case study, documenting the collaboration between a composer and a performer, which involved the première of a new composition for pianoforte, and intended to demonstrate that: (1) the concept of authorial intention, which is traditionally viewed by performers as a mandatory interpretative framework, can also be addressed from the performer’s perspective and (2) a multi-level appraisal of intention can be applied to collaborative procedures in order to promote a successful performance. The concepts of authorship and intention provided a theoretical framework for the analysis of the collaboration process, establishing a parallel between the dichotomies author/reader and composer/performer, and the concept of intentional level was applied in the description of the collaboration stages.