Gestural Phrasing: Adding Intentional Movement to Heitor Villa-Lobos "Fantasia para Saxophone"

Adding intentional gestures to instrumental performances can communicate musical intentions and emotional content to listeners. Studies have shown that by recognizing one's corporal movement and spatial awareness during a concert, artists can accompany their take on the work, not only with their artistry but also with the body. This lecture-recital essay aims to evaluate and discuss how one can use a gestural notation system to plan and codify movements in "Fantasia para Saxophone," and how the addition of bodily movement, even outside of this work alone, stands to benefit performers and audiences alike.

Based on a literature review of the means by which physical movement is used to transfer inaudible information from human to human and personal interviews with professionals in dance and chamber music, I propose that these raw and primal forms of connection can benefit an artists musicking.