International Symposium on Performance Science © The Author 2013, Published by the AEC

ISBN 978-2-9601378-0-4 All rights reserved

An exploration of the pianist’s multiple roles

within the duo chamber ensemble

Evgenia Roussou

Department of Drama and Music, University of Hull, UK

The current research explores the multiple roles of the pianist within the
traditional Western art solo-accompaniment duo chamber ensemble.
Based on a survey of existing literature, including historical, pedagogical,
and empirical texts on chamber ensemble practice (specifically piano ac-
companiment), five roles are identified for the pianist in a solo-accompa-
niment duo ensemble: (1) co-performer, (2) soloist, (3) coach, (4) ac-
companist, and (5) collaborator. An overview of these roles is provided
through consideration of their functional and socio-emotional qualities.
The importance of understanding the multiple roles of the pianist in
chamber ensemble practice is revealed along with implications for fur-
ther research.

Keywords: pianist; co-performer; soloist; coach; accompanist and col-

laborator

Studies on chamber ensemble practice have developed significantly in recent

years. Researchers and practitioners alike have enriched knowledge by re-
vealing important information about various different aspects of chamber
ensemble rehearsal and performance, such as rehearsal strategies (e.g. Da-
vidson and King 2004), the structure and organization of practice (e.g. Gins-
borg et al. 2006), musical interaction and negotiation techniques (e.g. Da-
vidson and Good 2002, Davidson and King 2004), musician’s roles in re-
hearsal (e.g. King 2006), co-ordination (e.g. Williamon and Davidson 2002,
Keller 2008), modes of communication including visual, aural, gestural, ver-
bal, and non-verbal modes (e.g. King and Ginsborg 2011), and social interac-
tion (e.g. Ford and Davidson 2003, King 2006, King in press). Kokotsaki
(2007) provides a theoretical framework about the pianist’s role within the
chamber ensemble which develops an earlier model of the pianist as accom-
panist and coach (Adler 1965). Other research focusing specifically on the
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pianist in chamber ensembles highlights issues of leadership, dominance,

methods of compromise, and resolving conflict such as in the piano duo con-
text (Blank and Davidson 2007). Deon Nielsen Price (2005) and Martin Katz
(2009) target the pedagogical aspect of piano accompaniment and collabora-
tion. Price (2005) provided a manual of accompaniment techniques and skills
which has become a successful textbook especially for university students.
Katz’s (2009) book offers advice on how pianists can “achieve a complete
fusion” with their partners. The most hands-on guidance for piano accompa-
nists is evident in texts by practitioners such as Gerald Moore (1943), who
share their experiences in the field.
In order to develop our understanding of piano accompaniment within
chamber ensemble practice, this paper aims to investigate the potential mul-
tiple roles of the pianist within the traditional Western art solo-accompani-
ment duo ensemble as identified via an in-depth survey of existing literature.

MAIN CONTRIBUTION

Five roles can be identified in the literature when considering the functional
and socio-emotional behavior of the pianist in the solo-accompaniment duo:
the pianist as co-performer, soloist, coach, accompanist, and collaborator.
These roles have musical, pedagogical, and social implications which are in-
terlinked. Taken at face value, these roles could be interpreted in the follow-
ing ways: (1) a co-performer, implying a fellow musical performer; (2) the
pianist emerging as a soloist during specific “solo” passages within a work; (3)
a coach, seeing the pianist working in a directing role, such as in rehearsal;
(4) an accompanist, with the pianist acting in a supporting role; and (5) a
collaborator, signifying equality between the two performers. Closer consid-
eration of each of these roles is given below so as to reveal more detailed in-
sight about the pianist. For the purpose of this study the instrumentalist or
singer who has the single-line melody part will be referred to as the “instru-
mental soloist.”

The pianist as co-performer

In duo chamber ensembles the term co-performer implies two performers

which are part of the same ensemble partnership, therefore partners, but not
necessarily on equal terms. Traditionally, melody instruments are regarded
hierarchically superior to the accompaniment instruments as far as the
equality of roles is concerned. However, pre-existing studies indicate that the
“stereotypical hierarchy” of the solo-accompaniment duo is not necessarily
upheld in practice (Davidson and King 2004). Blank and Davidson (2007)
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use the term duo instead of duet to underline the equality between the two
performers in the piano duo collaboration. Both Moore (1943) and Cranmer
(1970) refer to the accompanist as an equal partner with their soloist. Adler
(1965) refers to teamwork as being the greatest accomplishment between
instrumental soloist and accompanist, which once again has the implication
of equality. Both melody and accompaniment are conceived by the composers
as a joint affair which complete and complement one another. Therefore the
piano part is not written “as an afterthought” (Moore 1943, Zeckendorf 1953)
but as part of the original composition, hence it should be regarded as equal.
Coaching and accompanying are two different specializations that overlap
in many ways (Adler 1965). Coaching is a pedagogical term which encom-
passes elements of the pianist being in an instructor’s/director’s role. It in-
volves dealing with both the musical aspects of learning a piece of music and
the social aspects of dealing with a fellow performer. In this role, the pianist
might contribute significantly to interpretative decision-making.
An accompanist, according to Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians
(fifth edition) is:

the performer playing as a rule with a single singer or instrumentalist

usually on the pianoforte, whose part is nominally subsidiary, but who, in
all music that matters and especially in music dating later than the 17th
[and] mid-18th century accompaniment from a thorough-bass, should be
regarded as an equal partner in the interpretation of a type of music
which in a broad sense appertains to the category of chamber music
(Adler 1965, p.5).

Literature reveals that the accompanist was perceived as an inferior type of

musician (Cranmer 1970, Kokotsaki 2007) or one who perhaps failed to suc-
ceed as a concert pianist (Moore 1943, Zeckendorf 1953). Also, that the ac-
companist’s contribution was often not appreciated (Zeckendorf 1953) or
taken for granted (Katz 2009). However, Cranmer (1970) claimed that peo-
ple’s attitudes had changed and that accompanists are considered on many
occasions better musicians than their partners.
Katz (2009) states that in recent years the term “collaborator” has more
or less replaced the term “accompanist” and that “collaborative pianist” is
nowadays more commonly used, although there is no empirical evidence to
support this claim. Arguably, the term accompanist is still widespread even
though Moore (1943) referred to the act of accompaniment as “collaboration”
in the early part of the twentieth century. Katz claims that the word “accom-
panist” has a derogatory connotation whereas the word “collaborator,”
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meaning working with others, denotes that the pianist is on an equal footing
with the soloist. Moreover, Katz supports the fact that there is growing appre-
ciation towards collaboration by pointing out that nowadays more and more
courses on collaborative piano are available at the university level. Both “ac-
companist” and “collaborator” seem to refer to the pianist when serving sim-
ilar functions, although the latter perhaps implies a broader musical and so-
cio-emotional role. For the purpose of this research, the term “accompanist”
will be used as it is more commonly employed by the majority of authors and
researchers encountered in this investigation.

Understanding the piano accompanist’s multiple roles

A pianist in a solo-accompaniment duo ensemble is therefore a musician who

may act in one or more of the following ways during rehearsal and perfor-
mance: as a co-performer, as a soloist, as a coach, as an accompanist (in the
literal sense), and as a collaborator. The term “piano accompanist” embraces
all of these roles together. Each role can be regarded as primarily functional,
i.e. to ensure the success of the musical partnership, but also entails specific
socio-emotional behavior.
Indeed, the socio-emotional contribution of the piano accompanist in
chamber ensemble practice is recognized in the literature, for the accompa-
nist is described as inspiring confidence (Katz 2009) and making the soloist
feel comfortable and secure (Moore 1943) by looking after their emotional
(Katz 2009), physical, and psychological needs (Adler 1965). In particular, in
their roles as co-performer, coach, and collaborator, piano accompanists
nurture the socio-emotional behavior of the instrumental soloist in the en-
semble. At the same time, a piano accompanist needs to be musically func-
tional, notably in their roles as a soloist and accompanist: an accompanist
should respect and follow the instrumental soloist’s wishes during perfor-
mance (Adami 1952), is able to adjust the balance accordingly and supply the
correct tone color to match the instrumental soloist’s (Moore 1943, Cranmer
1970, Price 2005), is flexible and versatile, is supportive without being over-
powering (Price 2005), is relied upon by the instrumental soloist as being
their “second pair of ears” (Ginsborg et al. 2006), mentally anticipates, de-
tects, compensates and prevents possible errors (Adler 1965, Kokotsaki
2007), is ready to deal with any possible incident (Moore 1943, Price 2005),
and is a pianist with unquestionable musicianship (Adler 1965, Price 2005)
and piano technique (Moore 1943, Adler 1965, Price 2005).
In order to successfully contribute to a duo ensemble, an accompanist
thus exhibits numerous attributes that reflects the pianist in multiple roles.
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON PERFORMANCE SCIENCE 515

IMPLICATIONS

This research aimed to present the piano accompanist in a clearer light in an

effort to encourage both practitioners and researchers to revise, reinstate and
re-think the role of the pianist within the solo-accompaniment duo chamber
ensemble. In the contemporary Western art tradition, the pianist’s roles as
“accompanist” and “collaborator” are the most common by far, and have be-
come synonymous with particular functions that the pianist is expected to
provide when paired with a solo instrumentalist or singer. This doctoral re-
search endeavors to explore the piano accompanist’s multiple roles in more
depth via observational case-study.

Address for correspondence

Evgenia Roussou, Department of Drama and Music, University of Hull, Cottingham

Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK; Email: e.n.roussou@2011.hull.ac.uk

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