‘Comprovisation’ in Igbo Choral Art Music (ICAM): an introduction

Abstract

Improvisation often seems to have a negative reputation among ‘serious’ composers, since it is considered to be characterised by an artistic looseness in contrast to classical compositions, which are meticulously notated and require disciplined observance from musicians. ‘Comprovisation’ is a portmanteau word coined by the American composer Richard Dudas (2010) to describe notated compositions that include improvisation. The instrumental parts of Nigerian Igbo Choral Art Music (ICAM) are highly structured and interwoven with the notated choral part. While such parts could be considered ‘composition’, they are often left un-notated by composers, thus allowing musicians to make their own creative contributions to the final work. The process whereby ICAM is comprovised allows the musical form (in both its choral and instrumental parts) to retain freshness as well as gravitas in the art music sphere. Many studies have been conducted on ICAM, primarily focusing on its history, development and compositional principles, such as the relationship between melody and rhythm, accents and the intonation of Igbo texts. The existing research does not, however, explore the critical role that un-notated instrumentation plays in the final musical product and the genre’s ontology. This article addresses this gap by arguing that the instrumental part of ICAM is a well-structured process that is integral to the genre, albeit un-notated.