13.4 Historical performance movement and authenticity debates

The historical performance movement revitalized Baroque music in the 20th century. Pioneers like Wanda Landowska sparked interest, leading to period instrument ensembles and mainstream acceptance. This shift impacted performance through authentic instruments, tuning, and techniques.

Historical treatises by figures like Quantz and C.P.E. Bach provide crucial insights into Baroque performance practices. These sources, along with musicological research and instrument studies, guide modern interpretations and foster dialogue between scholars and performers in the early music community.

Historical Performance Movement

Development of historical performance movement

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• Early 20th century revival of interest in Baroque music sparked by pioneering harpsichordist Wanda Landowska and early music scholar and instrument maker Arnold Dolmetsch
• Growth of the "Early Music" movement in the 1960s-1970s led by influential conductors and scholars Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt
  • Establishment of period instrument ensembles (Academy of Ancient Music, Les Arts Florissants)
• Mainstream acceptance in the late 20th and early 21st century with major orchestras and opera houses incorporating historically informed practices
  • Prominence of Baroque specialists (John Eliot Gardiner, William Christie, Ton Koopman)
• Impact on contemporary Baroque music performance through the use of period instruments or modern replicas, adherence to historical tuning and temperament, incorporation of Baroque performance techniques (ornamentation, articulation, phrasing), and scholarly research informing interpretive choices

Debate on authenticity in performance

• Arguments for authenticity emphasize respect for composers' intentions and historical context, rediscovery of forgotten works and performance practices, increased understanding of Baroque music's aesthetic and cultural significance, and expansion of musical palette through use of period instruments and techniques
• Arguments against strict authenticity highlight the impossibility of fully recreating historical conditions, limitations of surviving historical evidence and sources, risk of prioritizing historical accuracy over musical expression and creativity, and potential for dogmatism and elitism in the early music movement
• Balanced approach of historically informed performance (HIP) combines scholarly research with artistic interpretation, acknowledges the value of both period and modern instruments and techniques, and engages with Baroque music as a living, evolving tradition

Influence of Historical Sources

Influence of historical treatises

• Johann Joachim Quantz's "On Playing the Flute" (1752) provides detailed instructions on flute technique, articulation, and ornamentation, offers insights into 18th-century performance practice and aesthetics, and influences modern flute players and Baroque music interpretation
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's "Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments" (1753-1762) serves as a comprehensive guide to keyboard technique, fingering, and ornamentation, discusses musical expression, taste, and style, and impacts modern understanding of Baroque keyboard performance practice
• Other significant treatises include Leopold Mozart's "A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing" (1756) and Giuseppe Tartini's "Treatise on Ornaments in Music" (1771)
• These treatises provide historical context and insights into composers' intentions, guide the application of Baroque performance techniques, and inform scholarly debates and research in the field of historically informed performance

Role of scholarship in performance practices

• Musicological research involves the study of historical sources (manuscripts, treatises, iconography), analysis of compositional styles, forms, and structures, and investigation of historical performance contexts and practices
• Organology and instrument-making research focuses on the construction and design of Baroque instruments, fostering collaboration between scholars, instrument makers, and performers, and enabling the reconstruction and restoration of period instruments
• Performance practice research examines historical treatises and instructional materials, analyzes contemporary accounts and descriptions of performances, and studies iconographic evidence (paintings, engravings)
• Interdisciplinary approaches encourage collaboration with historians, art historians, and cultural studies scholars to explore the broader social, cultural, and intellectual contexts of Baroque music
• Application of research findings informs interpretive choices and performance decisions, guides the development of historically informed techniques and styles, and fosters ongoing dialogue between scholars and performers in the early music community