Classical and Romantic performing practice, 1750-1900

Abstract

Despite the continuing interest in historically informed vocal and instrumental performance practice, the relationship between a composer's notation and the sounds it was intended to elicit remains problematic. Early recordings reveal a strikingly different sound and style from modern practice, and written sources indicate that earlier practice was even more radically different. This book looks beyond modern responses to the notation in an attempt to understand how Classical and Romantic composers may have expected to hear their music realized in performance. Theories of accentuation and their relationship to practice are discussed in relation to the notation of accents and dynamics. Similarly, articulation and phrasing are examined in theory and practice as well as in relation to composers' articulation markings and slurs. String bowing is treated as a special case, since detailed bowing instructions provide particularly important evidence of the difference between historical and current practice. Aspects of tempo are covered in detail in four chapters: evolving tempo conventions, the impact of the metronome, the range of meanings of tempo terms, the practices of particular composers, and various types of tempo modification are examined. Changing attitudes to embellishment, ornamentation, and improvization during the period are discussed in general; and individual chapters examine particular issues relating to appoggiaturas, trills, turns and other ornaments, vibrato, and portamento. A final section deals with the fermata, recitative, arpeggiation in keyboard playing; the variable dot of prolongation and other aspects of rhythmic flexibility; and the conventions of ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ performance.