Orchestration

=ORCHESTRATION= //initiated by Peter Hanke & Shannon O'Donnell early Feb 2008// //March 3rd Rob Austin joined the work of development//


 * Orchestration**

//an organisational idea-making dramaturgy based on the classical sonata-form//

Abstract

As a composition form principle the sonata-form was THE form for a serious composer throughout a long period of the classical music history from mid 1700s to the late 1800s. The fact that masterpieces written by Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms are celebrated every week by hundreds of symphony orchestras all over the world tells us that the composing format has an untouched appeal to the modern man in some way.

In brief the sonata-form consists of a two-folded presentation of contrasting themes and tonalities, a development section, and a recapitulation reconciling the initial contrasting themes and tonalities. The idea of reconciliation and re-established order at the end of a journey, is of course related to the ideology of the Age of Enlightenment, as for a modern mind the lack of expressive content, emerging conflicts, point of no return and climax tastes old fashioned and has limited interest as a storytelling archetype.



But for organisational idea-making the reconciliation of themes might be relevant as a development model. Bringing contrasting ideas together by cohesion in a highly structured way, but not a conclusion, fits extremely well with an innovative environment - perhaps much better than the traditional corporate storytelling exercises, that will be goal orientated and by that destroying valuable streams of meaning.

Embedding the sonata-form in an orchestral shaped organisational structure enables a large group of people to buy in to the dialogue with different intensity and characteristics. Imagine the symfoniorchestral setup; strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion etc. Each group plays different roles - strings are talkative and broad, winds are resting often and speaking more specifically. This multidimensional group's co-operation can be a nice role model for different preferences in a similar organisation-size.

Supported by the right IT system, a large group of people will be able to generate ideas together by adapting the roles of the orchestra members and following the format scheme and timing of the sonata-form ([|see the wikipedia outline] ).

On February 12, 2008 2:39:28 PM GMT+01:00, Shannon wrote:

Hi Peter,

...Your proposed use of the sonata form is very interesting. You might consider using it to frame a discussion on the wiki regarding new forms for idea-making, and inviting others to post comments on this form, relate experiences with form, and to add additional forms for idea-making.

I can also see the diagram of the form used in this way:

Person 1 introduces an idea Person 2 introduces a contrasting idea Person 3 comments on the contrast of ideas Person 4 develops ideas based on the intersection of the two initial ideas and their contrast Person 1 re-introduces their idea, perhaps modified by the development Person 2 re-introduces Person 3 closes the discussion while keeping the tension/diversity alive

What we may need in this exercise is an initial provocation--what are persons 1 and 2 looking at that sparks these ideas?

What do you think?

s

Peter's comment to this part: It is rather an IDEA1/IDEA2 confrontation than persons representing the different approaches. What is said is more important than who says it.

On February 21, 2008, Peter and Shannon met to discuss these ideas in person, resulting in thoughts, questions or clarifications such as:


 * This model might be specifically useful to idea-making in larger groups. How do you organize an idea-generating process with a group of 50, or 100, or more?


 * Peter clarified the role of tonalities in the structure to Shannon (who has no musical background)--The Principal Subject is expressed in one tonality, the Second Subject in another, and when the Principal and Second Subjects are repeated, they are expressed in one tonality together.


 * The structure allows space for participants to "sit with" or inhabit a "tonality" or idea which is not their natural "tonality"--perhaps for a long duration. This sets up conditions for an empathetic experience to occur, and may allow for a more collaborative approach, so that all ideas are incorporated during the development process towards the repetition of the Principal and Second subjects.


 * When the Principal and Second Subjects are repeated, we can think both that the subjects themselves have changed (certainly insofar as they now have a common tonality), and also that our experience of them has changed, given the time we have spent inhabiting each and developing the ideas towards their repetition.


 * How is chaos or intentional disruption interjected into this controlled structure? How does the structure and "hand-shake" of agreement to follow the structure to resolution allow trust and permission for disruptive ideas to be introduced and productive conflict to have a place in the process.


 * Time is significant in how this idea-making process is executed. How much time does the group agree to spend in each stage of the sonata progression might be determined and agreed upon in advance, to bring about resolution and give shape to the explorations.


 * We plan to add to this discussion a musical example of the structure, to guide the listener through the sonata progression.

Peter added 21st Feb: I have found a pretty good example of the sonataform from a Mozart piano sonata with a good thematic contrast between principal and second subject.

Aleck Karis plays W.A. Mozart: Sonata D-major KV576 1st movement: [|09 Allegro 64kbs.mp3] - download or play: media type="file" key="09 Allegro 64kbs.mp3" width="69" height="69" Clues: 0'00 (1'20) Principal Subject (Exposition (repeated)) 0'56 (2'16) Second Subject (Exposition (repeated)) 2'41 Development 3'35 Principal Subject (Recapitulation) 4'06 (Second Subject (Recapitulation)

In a brief disucssion between Rob and Peter March 3rd a form-discussion among managers as such was added. We would like to see these exercises enlarged in another part of the wiki regarding an intelligvent approach to dramaturgical form in business (repetition/variation - archetypes of the hero's journey). With this current form-survey we could pose this title of a paper: "Management has a form - why not the Sonata-form?"

Aesthesis themed issue, 2009** **:Neo-classicism and its impact on creativity and innovation in management and organisations**   ** The theme fits extremely well to the suggestion brought to our wiki-discussions here. H aydn is a perfect character for understanding the music forms' strength and development. Will it be relevant to use the idea making or idea qualifying wiki process to enable a paper? Anyone intrigued by the reign of the sonata-form, speak up. Peter