Music has always held an important place in Chinese culture and it has been deeply related to phi... more Music has always held an important place in Chinese culture and it has been deeply related to philosophy for ages. In fact, one could say it played a key role in creating Chinese culture and civilisation. It could be assumed that one of the most important concepts of this culture-the Harmony-has its roots in music-making practice and musical terminology. Music was very strongly related to the official social ideology/philosophy of the empire, the Confucianism. As an integral part of the rituals, it became one of the elements ensuring social order. Besides its social/global function, music was an issue of great importance in the practice of achieving one's personal excellence. There is a strong correlation between music and the Chinese idea of a sage, which in the Middle Kingdom is associated with the sense of hearing (not with sight, as it is in the Mediterranean tradition). The musical instrument guqin became an inalienable attribute of a sage and the practice of playing this instrument became a way to wisdom, allowing to improve one's cognition and action. This paper will present the relations between playing the qin, philosophy, and learning wisdom.
Spontaneous expression is a unique method of artistic creation that emerged from within a circle ... more Spontaneous expression is a unique method of artistic creation that emerged from within a circle of Chinese Confucian scholar-philosophers for whom artistic creation complemented their philosophical activities. Free improvisation is a new phenomenon of the European art scene. It is typified by spontaneous, often ad hoc creation, without prior preparation of the act or the object. I want to illustrate the similarities in the strategies of creation between ‘spontaneous expression’ and ‘free improvisation’ and the extent to which the philosophical foundations and resulting strategies of the former can be used in the latter, demonstrating the philosophical basis for this artistic discipline. I will primarily consider the mind of the creator, and justify the thesis that the state of mind, or mental attitude, necessary for the practice of spontaneous expression could be useful in the development of the practice of free improvisation in contemporary art (European art here would be inaccura...
Call for papers for special issue of The Polish Journal of Aesthetics dedicated to improvisation ... more Call for papers for special issue of The Polish Journal of Aesthetics dedicated to improvisation in contemporary art.
In contrast to the Confucian musical thought, daoist thought does not stress the need for proper ... more In contrast to the Confucian musical thought, daoist thought does not stress the need for proper organization of sounds, creating and using appropriate scales, nor, does not differentiate music on the appropriate and inappropriate. "Five notes" is pentatonic, basic, commonly used musical scale in ancient times . In the Confucian concept of music, organizing and limiting the audio material led to organize the music which in turn have a beneficial effect on people.
I would like to point out some common intuitions that daoist thought shares with contemporary avant-garde artists in music, such as Cage and Varese. In both cases we find a strong emphasis on cognitive qualities the music and its philosophical significance. Because, from our modern perspective, enshrined in the daoist writings remark that "five sounds make human ears deaf" is the first written demand of expanding the audio material. And just as artists involved in experimental music understand this postulate, it combines strong musical practice with the knowledge of reality.
The following essay is dedicated to free improvisation in music, and specifically to the search f... more The following essay is dedicated to free improvisation in music, and specifically to the search for tools to effectively carry out this activity. It concerns music, not in the sense of sound phenomena, but in the sense of creative practice, the method of its creation. That is why we can speak of a praxeology of free improvisation in music. In the case of 'improvised music/art', praxeology is unusually relevant due to the fact that the work/product of this art is not only an artifact coming into existence as the result of a creative process, but it itself is a process.
The main thesis I would like to present can be formulated as follows: 'free improvisation in music (and in art generally) is an activity qualitatively different than the artistic practices previously used in Europe. Thus, it demands the finding/development/application of different tools/strategies of acting to generate musical pieces/works of art.'
Then I would like to present the project of possibility of adapting Daoist strategies of action to the act of free improvisation in music, strategies developed by Daoist philosophers concerning art and human activity in general. Daoism, often known as 'the philosophy of artists', places emphasis on intuitional learning and on spontaneous action. The expressions of Daoism are found in different kinds of art, from calligraphy, painting, garden design, and martial arts. Essentially, in every form of human action one can practice the Daoist strategy of acting. In art the Daoist strategy of behavior was repeatedly adapted by Confucian circles, which resulted in the development of the so-called 'spontaneous expression' movement in art. The Daoist turn is merely a project which examine the possibilities of adapting the Daoist strategy of action to the act of free improvisation in music, based on the intuitions concerning my artistic activity and research of Daoist philosophy and its practical applications.
Music has always held an important place in Chinese culture and it has been deeply related to phi... more Music has always held an important place in Chinese culture and it has been deeply related to philosophy for ages.
In fact, one could say it played a key role in creating Chinese culture and civilisation. It could be assumed that one
of the most important concepts of this culture—the Harmony—has its roots in music-making practice and musical
terminology. Music was very strongly related to the official social ideology/philosophy of the empire, the
Confucianism. As an integral part of the rituals, it became one of the elements ensuring social order. Besides its
social/global function, music was an issue of great importance in the practice of achieving one’s personal
excellence. There is a strong correlation between music and the Chinese idea of a sage, which in the Middle
Kingdom is associated with the sense of hearing (not with sight, as it is in the Mediterranean tradition). The musical
instrument guqin became an inalienable attribute of a sage and the practice of playing this instrument became a way
to wisdom, allowing to improve one’s cognition and action. This paper will present the relations between playing
the qin, philosophy, and learning wisdom.
1. Classical Daoist writings and contemporary freely improvised music are distant both in
time an... more 1. Classical Daoist writings and contemporary freely improvised music are distant both in time and space aspect. At first sight they don’t seem to have much in common . However, considering extraordinary 'liveliness' of the Daoism classics, its timeliness and openness for innovations characterizing freely improvised actions in music, one can start to notice a space for meeting. 2. The classical Daoist writings include an action strategy; it is a strategy of spontaneous action, based on an intuitive insight into Nature and enabling perception of constant movement, of continual transformation. It does not offer ready-made structures of behaviour that can be used in different sorts of activities, but a certain way of perceiving the world, a way which lets us notice its constantly changing, hence unique form and create appropriate structures of behaviour to particular situations. There is a belief referring to this strategy also in Europe – it’s Bergson’s conviction of intuitive cognition, as cognition showing the way to the essence of reality, which in our intellectual cognition is perceived with static images. Free/intuitive improvisation, which appeared in Europe in the 60’s of the 20th century as a method of artistic creation, freed from the corset of stylistic rules and principles, demands this kind of action strategy. 3. The term 'improvisation' does not have particularly positive connotations in European culture, associating not only with an unprepared action, but also or even more with a chaotic, perfunctory action, resulting in unsatisfactory, superficial effects. In our lives we often encounter such situations as those when someone surprised by the turn of events unskilfully tries to adapt to the situation, using a trick or a quick solution to patch things up. It is said then, a bit patronizingly: 'well, it didn’t go too well, but in the end he was improvising'. This saying includes an opinion that improvisation can never result in things as good as the ones resulting from well-planed and prepared actions. 4. I have encountered similar opinions among many musicians who declared unwillingness to improvise, claiming that improvisation, especially free improvisation is associated with high risk; it can work or not work. It follows that improvisation is integrally related to very likely failure in action.
In this article I describe the tradition of education by using appropriate music, saved in the wr... more In this article I describe the tradition of education by using appropriate music, saved in the writings of classical Chinese philosophy. By the Chinese music was treated exceptionally, as a tool for a strong impact on the human mind and emotions. According to ancient Chinese texts it was a great tool for governance and provision of social peace. In the individual aspect musical practice in the accurate dimension could serve as the Way of the Sage. In the article I describ an conviction about the role of music in terms of moral/ethical education of man, which we can find in the classical Chinese philosophical texts.
Chinese term wúxīn is translated as 'non-mind' or 'empty mind'. The specific state of mind is int... more Chinese term wúxīn is translated as 'non-mind' or 'empty mind'. The specific state of mind is intimately bound with 'unthinking', non valuation and non differentiation and is inherent element of strategy of action created by Chinese philosophers, inherent part of Chinese way of achieving mastery – gong fu. In article I display the base of the strategy and claims about wúxīn in daoist classical texts. I also display how „non-mind” could be validated as cognitive method.
Spontaneous expression is a unique method of artistic creation that emerged from within a circle ... more Spontaneous expression is a unique method of artistic creation that emerged from within a circle of Chinese Confucian scholar-philosophers for whom artistic creation complemented their philosophical activities. Free improvisation is a new phenomenon of the European art scene. It is typified by spontaneous, often ad hoc creation, without prior preparation of the act or the object. I want to illustrate the similarities in the strategies of creation between 'spontaneous expression' and 'free improvisation' and the extent to which the philosophical foundations and resulting strategies of the former can be used in the latter, demonstrating the philosophical basis for this artistic discipline. I will primarily consider the mind of the creator, and justify the thesis that the state of mind, or mental attitude, necessary for the practice of spontaneous expression could be useful in the development of the practice of free improvisation in contemporary art (European art here would be inaccurate). A 'method without method' built on the basis of Chinese philosophy can help generate a strategy to develop and improve the skills of improvisation among contemporary European artists and contribute to the development of a contemporary philosophy of free improvisation. It is my opinion that these are fields that lie fallow. This would be an attempt to adapt the strategy of creation borne of original Chinese philosophy to contemporary artistic activities and aesthetic studies: a kind of transcultural bridge.
Music has always held an important place in Chinese culture and it has been deeply related to phi... more Music has always held an important place in Chinese culture and it has been deeply related to philosophy for ages. In fact, one could say it played a key role in creating Chinese culture and civilisation. It could be assumed that one of the most important concepts of this culture-the Harmony-has its roots in music-making practice and musical terminology. Music was very strongly related to the official social ideology/philosophy of the empire, the Confucianism. As an integral part of the rituals, it became one of the elements ensuring social order. Besides its social/global function, music was an issue of great importance in the practice of achieving one's personal excellence. There is a strong correlation between music and the Chinese idea of a sage, which in the Middle Kingdom is associated with the sense of hearing (not with sight, as it is in the Mediterranean tradition). The musical instrument guqin became an inalienable attribute of a sage and the practice of playing this instrument became a way to wisdom, allowing to improve one's cognition and action. This paper will present the relations between playing the qin, philosophy, and learning wisdom.
Spontaneous expression is a unique method of artistic creation that emerged from within a circle ... more Spontaneous expression is a unique method of artistic creation that emerged from within a circle of Chinese Confucian scholar-philosophers for whom artistic creation complemented their philosophical activities. Free improvisation is a new phenomenon of the European art scene. It is typified by spontaneous, often ad hoc creation, without prior preparation of the act or the object. I want to illustrate the similarities in the strategies of creation between ‘spontaneous expression’ and ‘free improvisation’ and the extent to which the philosophical foundations and resulting strategies of the former can be used in the latter, demonstrating the philosophical basis for this artistic discipline. I will primarily consider the mind of the creator, and justify the thesis that the state of mind, or mental attitude, necessary for the practice of spontaneous expression could be useful in the development of the practice of free improvisation in contemporary art (European art here would be inaccura...
Call for papers for special issue of The Polish Journal of Aesthetics dedicated to improvisation ... more Call for papers for special issue of The Polish Journal of Aesthetics dedicated to improvisation in contemporary art.
In contrast to the Confucian musical thought, daoist thought does not stress the need for proper ... more In contrast to the Confucian musical thought, daoist thought does not stress the need for proper organization of sounds, creating and using appropriate scales, nor, does not differentiate music on the appropriate and inappropriate. "Five notes" is pentatonic, basic, commonly used musical scale in ancient times . In the Confucian concept of music, organizing and limiting the audio material led to organize the music which in turn have a beneficial effect on people.
I would like to point out some common intuitions that daoist thought shares with contemporary avant-garde artists in music, such as Cage and Varese. In both cases we find a strong emphasis on cognitive qualities the music and its philosophical significance. Because, from our modern perspective, enshrined in the daoist writings remark that "five sounds make human ears deaf" is the first written demand of expanding the audio material. And just as artists involved in experimental music understand this postulate, it combines strong musical practice with the knowledge of reality.
The following essay is dedicated to free improvisation in music, and specifically to the search f... more The following essay is dedicated to free improvisation in music, and specifically to the search for tools to effectively carry out this activity. It concerns music, not in the sense of sound phenomena, but in the sense of creative practice, the method of its creation. That is why we can speak of a praxeology of free improvisation in music. In the case of 'improvised music/art', praxeology is unusually relevant due to the fact that the work/product of this art is not only an artifact coming into existence as the result of a creative process, but it itself is a process.
The main thesis I would like to present can be formulated as follows: 'free improvisation in music (and in art generally) is an activity qualitatively different than the artistic practices previously used in Europe. Thus, it demands the finding/development/application of different tools/strategies of acting to generate musical pieces/works of art.'
Then I would like to present the project of possibility of adapting Daoist strategies of action to the act of free improvisation in music, strategies developed by Daoist philosophers concerning art and human activity in general. Daoism, often known as 'the philosophy of artists', places emphasis on intuitional learning and on spontaneous action. The expressions of Daoism are found in different kinds of art, from calligraphy, painting, garden design, and martial arts. Essentially, in every form of human action one can practice the Daoist strategy of acting. In art the Daoist strategy of behavior was repeatedly adapted by Confucian circles, which resulted in the development of the so-called 'spontaneous expression' movement in art. The Daoist turn is merely a project which examine the possibilities of adapting the Daoist strategy of action to the act of free improvisation in music, based on the intuitions concerning my artistic activity and research of Daoist philosophy and its practical applications.
Music has always held an important place in Chinese culture and it has been deeply related to phi... more Music has always held an important place in Chinese culture and it has been deeply related to philosophy for ages.
In fact, one could say it played a key role in creating Chinese culture and civilisation. It could be assumed that one
of the most important concepts of this culture—the Harmony—has its roots in music-making practice and musical
terminology. Music was very strongly related to the official social ideology/philosophy of the empire, the
Confucianism. As an integral part of the rituals, it became one of the elements ensuring social order. Besides its
social/global function, music was an issue of great importance in the practice of achieving one’s personal
excellence. There is a strong correlation between music and the Chinese idea of a sage, which in the Middle
Kingdom is associated with the sense of hearing (not with sight, as it is in the Mediterranean tradition). The musical
instrument guqin became an inalienable attribute of a sage and the practice of playing this instrument became a way
to wisdom, allowing to improve one’s cognition and action. This paper will present the relations between playing
the qin, philosophy, and learning wisdom.
1. Classical Daoist writings and contemporary freely improvised music are distant both in
time an... more 1. Classical Daoist writings and contemporary freely improvised music are distant both in time and space aspect. At first sight they don’t seem to have much in common . However, considering extraordinary 'liveliness' of the Daoism classics, its timeliness and openness for innovations characterizing freely improvised actions in music, one can start to notice a space for meeting. 2. The classical Daoist writings include an action strategy; it is a strategy of spontaneous action, based on an intuitive insight into Nature and enabling perception of constant movement, of continual transformation. It does not offer ready-made structures of behaviour that can be used in different sorts of activities, but a certain way of perceiving the world, a way which lets us notice its constantly changing, hence unique form and create appropriate structures of behaviour to particular situations. There is a belief referring to this strategy also in Europe – it’s Bergson’s conviction of intuitive cognition, as cognition showing the way to the essence of reality, which in our intellectual cognition is perceived with static images. Free/intuitive improvisation, which appeared in Europe in the 60’s of the 20th century as a method of artistic creation, freed from the corset of stylistic rules and principles, demands this kind of action strategy. 3. The term 'improvisation' does not have particularly positive connotations in European culture, associating not only with an unprepared action, but also or even more with a chaotic, perfunctory action, resulting in unsatisfactory, superficial effects. In our lives we often encounter such situations as those when someone surprised by the turn of events unskilfully tries to adapt to the situation, using a trick or a quick solution to patch things up. It is said then, a bit patronizingly: 'well, it didn’t go too well, but in the end he was improvising'. This saying includes an opinion that improvisation can never result in things as good as the ones resulting from well-planed and prepared actions. 4. I have encountered similar opinions among many musicians who declared unwillingness to improvise, claiming that improvisation, especially free improvisation is associated with high risk; it can work or not work. It follows that improvisation is integrally related to very likely failure in action.
In this article I describe the tradition of education by using appropriate music, saved in the wr... more In this article I describe the tradition of education by using appropriate music, saved in the writings of classical Chinese philosophy. By the Chinese music was treated exceptionally, as a tool for a strong impact on the human mind and emotions. According to ancient Chinese texts it was a great tool for governance and provision of social peace. In the individual aspect musical practice in the accurate dimension could serve as the Way of the Sage. In the article I describ an conviction about the role of music in terms of moral/ethical education of man, which we can find in the classical Chinese philosophical texts.
Chinese term wúxīn is translated as 'non-mind' or 'empty mind'. The specific state of mind is int... more Chinese term wúxīn is translated as 'non-mind' or 'empty mind'. The specific state of mind is intimately bound with 'unthinking', non valuation and non differentiation and is inherent element of strategy of action created by Chinese philosophers, inherent part of Chinese way of achieving mastery – gong fu. In article I display the base of the strategy and claims about wúxīn in daoist classical texts. I also display how „non-mind” could be validated as cognitive method.
Spontaneous expression is a unique method of artistic creation that emerged from within a circle ... more Spontaneous expression is a unique method of artistic creation that emerged from within a circle of Chinese Confucian scholar-philosophers for whom artistic creation complemented their philosophical activities. Free improvisation is a new phenomenon of the European art scene. It is typified by spontaneous, often ad hoc creation, without prior preparation of the act or the object. I want to illustrate the similarities in the strategies of creation between 'spontaneous expression' and 'free improvisation' and the extent to which the philosophical foundations and resulting strategies of the former can be used in the latter, demonstrating the philosophical basis for this artistic discipline. I will primarily consider the mind of the creator, and justify the thesis that the state of mind, or mental attitude, necessary for the practice of spontaneous expression could be useful in the development of the practice of free improvisation in contemporary art (European art here would be inaccurate). A 'method without method' built on the basis of Chinese philosophy can help generate a strategy to develop and improve the skills of improvisation among contemporary European artists and contribute to the development of a contemporary philosophy of free improvisation. It is my opinion that these are fields that lie fallow. This would be an attempt to adapt the strategy of creation borne of original Chinese philosophy to contemporary artistic activities and aesthetic studies: a kind of transcultural bridge.
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I would like to point out some common intuitions that daoist thought shares with contemporary avant-garde artists in music, such as Cage and Varese. In both cases we find a strong emphasis on cognitive qualities the music and its philosophical significance. Because, from our modern perspective, enshrined in the daoist writings remark that "five sounds make human ears deaf" is the first written demand of expanding the audio material. And just as artists involved in experimental music understand this postulate, it combines strong musical practice with the knowledge of reality.
The main thesis I would like to present can be formulated as follows: 'free improvisation in music (and in art generally) is an activity qualitatively different than the artistic practices previously used in Europe. Thus, it demands the finding/development/application of different tools/strategies of acting to generate musical pieces/works of art.'
Then I would like to present the project of possibility of adapting Daoist strategies of action to the act of free improvisation in music, strategies developed by Daoist philosophers concerning art and human activity in general. Daoism, often known as 'the philosophy of artists', places emphasis on intuitional learning and on spontaneous action. The expressions of Daoism are found in different kinds of art, from calligraphy, painting, garden design, and martial arts. Essentially, in every form of human action one can practice the Daoist strategy of acting. In art the Daoist strategy of behavior was repeatedly adapted by Confucian circles, which resulted in the development of the so-called 'spontaneous expression' movement in art. The Daoist turn is merely a project which examine the possibilities of adapting the Daoist strategy of action to the act of free improvisation in music, based on the intuitions concerning my artistic activity and research of Daoist philosophy and its practical applications.
In fact, one could say it played a key role in creating Chinese culture and civilisation. It could be assumed that one
of the most important concepts of this culture—the Harmony—has its roots in music-making practice and musical
terminology. Music was very strongly related to the official social ideology/philosophy of the empire, the
Confucianism. As an integral part of the rituals, it became one of the elements ensuring social order. Besides its
social/global function, music was an issue of great importance in the practice of achieving one’s personal
excellence. There is a strong correlation between music and the Chinese idea of a sage, which in the Middle
Kingdom is associated with the sense of hearing (not with sight, as it is in the Mediterranean tradition). The musical
instrument guqin became an inalienable attribute of a sage and the practice of playing this instrument became a way
to wisdom, allowing to improve one’s cognition and action. This paper will present the relations between playing
the qin, philosophy, and learning wisdom.
time and space aspect. At first sight they don’t seem to have much in common . However,
considering extraordinary 'liveliness' of the Daoism classics, its timeliness and openness for
innovations characterizing freely improvised actions in music, one can start to notice a space
for meeting.
2. The classical Daoist writings include an action strategy; it is a strategy of spontaneous
action, based on an intuitive insight into Nature and enabling perception of constant
movement, of continual transformation. It does not offer ready-made structures of behaviour
that can be used in different sorts of activities, but a certain way of perceiving the world, a
way which lets us notice its constantly changing, hence unique form and create appropriate
structures of behaviour to particular situations. There is a belief referring to this strategy also
in Europe – it’s Bergson’s conviction of intuitive cognition, as cognition showing the way to
the essence of reality, which in our intellectual cognition is perceived with static images.
Free/intuitive improvisation, which appeared in Europe in the 60’s of the 20th century as a
method of artistic creation, freed from the corset of stylistic rules and principles, demands this
kind of action strategy.
3. The term 'improvisation' does not have particularly positive connotations in European
culture, associating not only with an unprepared action, but also or even more with a chaotic,
perfunctory action, resulting in unsatisfactory, superficial effects. In our lives we often
encounter such situations as those when someone surprised by the turn of events unskilfully
tries to adapt to the situation, using a trick or a quick solution to patch things up. It is said
then, a bit patronizingly: 'well, it didn’t go too well, but in the end he was improvising'. This
saying includes an opinion that improvisation can never result in things as good as the ones
resulting from well-planed and prepared actions.
4. I have encountered similar opinions among many musicians who declared unwillingness to
improvise, claiming that improvisation, especially free improvisation is associated with high
risk; it can work or not work. It follows that improvisation is integrally related to very likely
failure in action.
I would like to point out some common intuitions that daoist thought shares with contemporary avant-garde artists in music, such as Cage and Varese. In both cases we find a strong emphasis on cognitive qualities the music and its philosophical significance. Because, from our modern perspective, enshrined in the daoist writings remark that "five sounds make human ears deaf" is the first written demand of expanding the audio material. And just as artists involved in experimental music understand this postulate, it combines strong musical practice with the knowledge of reality.
The main thesis I would like to present can be formulated as follows: 'free improvisation in music (and in art generally) is an activity qualitatively different than the artistic practices previously used in Europe. Thus, it demands the finding/development/application of different tools/strategies of acting to generate musical pieces/works of art.'
Then I would like to present the project of possibility of adapting Daoist strategies of action to the act of free improvisation in music, strategies developed by Daoist philosophers concerning art and human activity in general. Daoism, often known as 'the philosophy of artists', places emphasis on intuitional learning and on spontaneous action. The expressions of Daoism are found in different kinds of art, from calligraphy, painting, garden design, and martial arts. Essentially, in every form of human action one can practice the Daoist strategy of acting. In art the Daoist strategy of behavior was repeatedly adapted by Confucian circles, which resulted in the development of the so-called 'spontaneous expression' movement in art. The Daoist turn is merely a project which examine the possibilities of adapting the Daoist strategy of action to the act of free improvisation in music, based on the intuitions concerning my artistic activity and research of Daoist philosophy and its practical applications.
In fact, one could say it played a key role in creating Chinese culture and civilisation. It could be assumed that one
of the most important concepts of this culture—the Harmony—has its roots in music-making practice and musical
terminology. Music was very strongly related to the official social ideology/philosophy of the empire, the
Confucianism. As an integral part of the rituals, it became one of the elements ensuring social order. Besides its
social/global function, music was an issue of great importance in the practice of achieving one’s personal
excellence. There is a strong correlation between music and the Chinese idea of a sage, which in the Middle
Kingdom is associated with the sense of hearing (not with sight, as it is in the Mediterranean tradition). The musical
instrument guqin became an inalienable attribute of a sage and the practice of playing this instrument became a way
to wisdom, allowing to improve one’s cognition and action. This paper will present the relations between playing
the qin, philosophy, and learning wisdom.
time and space aspect. At first sight they don’t seem to have much in common . However,
considering extraordinary 'liveliness' of the Daoism classics, its timeliness and openness for
innovations characterizing freely improvised actions in music, one can start to notice a space
for meeting.
2. The classical Daoist writings include an action strategy; it is a strategy of spontaneous
action, based on an intuitive insight into Nature and enabling perception of constant
movement, of continual transformation. It does not offer ready-made structures of behaviour
that can be used in different sorts of activities, but a certain way of perceiving the world, a
way which lets us notice its constantly changing, hence unique form and create appropriate
structures of behaviour to particular situations. There is a belief referring to this strategy also
in Europe – it’s Bergson’s conviction of intuitive cognition, as cognition showing the way to
the essence of reality, which in our intellectual cognition is perceived with static images.
Free/intuitive improvisation, which appeared in Europe in the 60’s of the 20th century as a
method of artistic creation, freed from the corset of stylistic rules and principles, demands this
kind of action strategy.
3. The term 'improvisation' does not have particularly positive connotations in European
culture, associating not only with an unprepared action, but also or even more with a chaotic,
perfunctory action, resulting in unsatisfactory, superficial effects. In our lives we often
encounter such situations as those when someone surprised by the turn of events unskilfully
tries to adapt to the situation, using a trick or a quick solution to patch things up. It is said
then, a bit patronizingly: 'well, it didn’t go too well, but in the end he was improvising'. This
saying includes an opinion that improvisation can never result in things as good as the ones
resulting from well-planed and prepared actions.
4. I have encountered similar opinions among many musicians who declared unwillingness to
improvise, claiming that improvisation, especially free improvisation is associated with high
risk; it can work or not work. It follows that improvisation is integrally related to very likely
failure in action.