15.2 The Baroque revival in the 20th century

The 20th-century Baroque revival breathed new life into music from 1600-1750. Driven by musicological research, a reaction against Romantic excess, and tech advances, this movement rediscovered forgotten works and performance practices.

Key figures like Dolmetsch, Landowska, and Harnoncourt championed historically informed performances. Their efforts sparked debates on authenticity, influenced contemporary composers, and reshaped how we experience Baroque music today.

Factors and Key Figures in the 20th-Century Baroque Revival

Factors of Baroque music revival

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• Increased musicological research and scholarship
  • Rediscovery of Baroque musical scores and treatises expanded knowledge of the era's music (e.g., works by Monteverdi, Vivaldi)
  • Greater understanding of Baroque performance practices informed historically accurate interpretations (ornamentation, improvisation)
• Reaction against Romantic-era musical aesthetics
  • Desire for clarity, balance, and objectivity in music as a departure from Romantic excesses (e.g., Wagner, Mahler)
  • Rejection of emotional excess and subjectivity in favor of Baroque-era ideals (restraint, form)
• Technological advancements
  • Improved access to historical instruments enabled more authentic performances (harpsichords, Baroque violins)
  • Development of recording technologies, enabling wider dissemination of Baroque music (LPs, radio broadcasts)

Key figures in Baroque revival

• Arnold Dolmetsch (1858-1940)
  • Early music scholar and performer who championed historically informed performances
  • Pioneered the use of historical instruments in performance (recorders, viols)
• Wanda Landowska (1879-1959)
  • Harpsichordist and musicologist who revived interest in the instrument
  • Promoted the revival of the harpsichord and Baroque keyboard music (e.g., works by Bach, Scarlatti)
• Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979)
  • Composer, conductor, and influential music pedagogue who taught many 20th-century composers
  • Encouraged interest in Baroque music and historically informed performance practices
• Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929-2016)
  • Conductor and cellist who advocated for period-instrument performances
  • Founded the period-instrument ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien, a leading Baroque orchestra
• Gustav Leonhardt (1928-2012)
  • Harpsichordist, organist, and conductor known for his interpretations of Bach
  • Collaborated with Harnoncourt and promoted historically informed performance practices

Impact and Evaluation of the Baroque Revival

Impact on contemporary music

• Increased use of period instruments in performances of Baroque music
  • Authentic reproduction of Baroque sound and timbre through the use of historical instruments (Baroque violins, oboes)
  • Specialized ensembles and orchestras dedicated to historically informed performance (e.g., Academy of Ancient Music, Les Arts Florissants)
• Scholarly research and publications on Baroque performance practices
  • Treatises on ornamentation, improvisation, and other aspects of Baroque music-making informed performances
  • Critical editions of Baroque musical scores provided more accurate source materials (e.g., Neue Bach-Ausgabe)
• Influence on contemporary composers
  • Neo-Baroque compositional styles and techniques inspired by Baroque forms and textures (e.g., Stravinsky's Pulcinella, Schnittke's Suite in the Old Style)
  • Incorporation of Baroque forms and structures in new works (e.g., concerto grosso, passacaglia)

Authenticity of revival performances

• Debates surrounding the concept of "authenticity" in historical performance
  • Impossibility of fully recreating the original context and sound of Baroque music due to changes in instruments, performance spaces, and cultural context
  • Subjectivity and interpretation in the realization of Baroque scores, as many details were left to the performer's discretion
• Criticisms of the Baroque revival movement
  • Accusations of elitism and exclusivity in the early music community, with a focus on scholarly research over accessibility
  • Concerns about the prioritization of historical accuracy over artistic expression and individual interpretation
• Ongoing scholarship and refinement of historically informed performance practices
  • Continued research into Baroque performance techniques and aesthetics, leading to evolving interpretations
  • Acknowledgment of the limitations and uncertainties in reconstructing historical performances, recognizing the role of informed speculation and artistic choice