The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy and Improvisation in the Arts

Over the last few decades, the notion of improvisation has enriched and dynamized research on traditional philosophies of music, theatre, dance, poetry, and even visual art. This Handbook offers readers an authoritative collection of accessible articles on the philosophy of improvisation, synthesizing and explaining various subjects and issues from the growing wave of journal articles and monographs in the field. Its 48 chapters, written specifically for this volume by an international team of scholars, are accessible for students and researchers alike.

The volume is organized into four main sections:
I Art and Improvisation: Theoretical Perspectives
II Art and Improvisation: Aesthetical, Ethical, and Political Perspectives
III Improvisation in Musical Practices
IV Improvisation in the Visual, Narrative, Dramatic, and Interactive Arts

Key Features:

• Treats improvisation not only as a stylistic feature, but also as an aesthetic property of artworks and performances as well as a core element of artistic creativity.
• Spells out multiple aspects of the concept of improvisation, emphasizing its relevance in understanding the nature of art.
• Covers improvisation in a wide spectrum of artistic domains, including unexpected ones such as literature, visual arts, games, and cooking.
• Addresses key questions, such as:
  - How can improvisation be defined and what is its role in different art forms?
  - Can improvisation be perceived as such, and how can it be aesthetically evaluated?
  - What is the relationship between improvisation and notions such as action, composition, expressivity, and authenticity?
  - What is the ethical and political significance of improvisation?

Alessandro Bertinetto is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Turin in Italy and coordinator of ART–Aesthetics Research Turin (Philosophical Seminar). He has been an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and a member of the Executive Committee of the European Society for Aesthetics. His most recent books are Eseguire l’inatteso. Ontologia della musica e improvvisazione (2016) and Estetica dell’improvvisazione (2021).

Marcello Ruta studied music (classical piano) in Milan and Trieste and obtained his PhD in philosophy in 2010 at the University of Strasbourg and his Habilitation in 2017 at the University of Bern. He is the author of Schopenhauer et Schelling, philosophes du temps et de l’éternité (2014) and co-editor (with Alessandro Arbo) of Ontologie musicale: perspectives et débats (2014).