Origins of the Piano Recital in England, 1830–1870

Abstract

The rise of the solo recital marked one of the key turning points in the history of piano performance. In public concerts the pianoforte was, for the most part, presented as an ensemble instrument. Cross-fertilization was soon in evidence. Pianists were prompted to initiate series of chamber music concerts focusing on pianoforte repertoire, while repertoire characteristic of the chamber concert series gradually appeared in the programmes of pianists' benefit concerts, sometimes replacing the conventional concerto item. The emergence of a category of concert which focused on chamber music and emphasized classical repertoire had major consequences for attitudes towards the skills and qualities expected of leading pianists and, in particular, the traditional view of instrumental virtuosity. In the establishment of the pianoforte recital as a distinctive and permanent feature of London musical life, the mid-1850s appear to have been a major point of consolidation.