Historical Performance Practice Research Articles

Historična glasbila v poustvarjalni praksi. Možnosti in perspektive v slovenski glasbeni kulturi

The interpretation and performance of early music are closely related to the research of historical performance practices, the preservation of historical musical instruments, activities / endeavours of specialized ensembles and education. This area of research in Slovenia is largely led by museum collections of musical instruments, national programmes for the revitalization of cultural heritage and some cultural and educational institutions. It is therefore essential to consider examples of good practice and to develop new opportunities regarding collections of musical instruments in Slovene museums, early music festivals and music education.

The place of modern technique in historical performance practice.

Name: Mikaela Oberg Main Subject: Historical Flutes Research Coaches: Wouter Verschuren Title of Research: The Place of Modern Methods used to acquire Technique on Period Instruments, within Historically Informed Performance Practice. Research Question: How has the way we acquire technique on the flute developed since 1700 and to what extent can the use of instructional methods intended for Boehm system flutes within historically informed performance practice be deemed valid? Research Process: The information for my research has come from a collection of over fifty treatises, methods and technical workbooks written between 1700 and 2013. My historical overview was based on a more in-depth analysis of just over thirty of these and I also interviewed twenty-seven historical flute players, of various ages and levels to acquire an understanding of the current approach towards technical development. Summary of Results: By examining a large variety of flute instructional methods written across three hundred years I have discovered that there is a continuous relationship in ideologies associated with the development of sound, articulation and finger technique on the flute. This continuity of ideas, combined with the results of my interviews with current student and professional historical flute players has brought me to the conclusion that it is quite valid for historical flute players to include methods intended for Boehm system flutes as part of their practice material. I have found evidence supporting the fact that eighteenth century flute players included technical exercises as part of a daily practice routine, apart from their repertoire practice. I have also found that the most popular and enduring exercises in use today, many of which us flute players know from our modern flute studies, have their foundations in material found in eighteenth and early nineteenth century method books. In my power point presentation I will offer various examples from my research material highlighting the development of technical material from 1700 to the present. This will display the links that exist between the old and the new as well as offer several often over-looked suggestions for flute players looking to expand their practice resources.

Bachs Orchester- und Kammermusik: Das Handbuch Edited by Siegbert Rampe (review)

Reviewed by: Bachs Orchester- und Kammermusik: Das Handbuch Edited by Siegbert Rampe John Moran Bachs Orchester- und Kammermusik: Das Handbuch. Edited by Siegbert Rampe. (Bach-Handbuch, no. 5. Teilband 1: Bachs Orchestermusik; Teilband 2: Bachs Kammermusik.) Laaber: Laaber-Verlag, 2013. [905 p. ISBN 9783890074559. €168.] Music examples, illustrations, works list, bibliography, indexes. Bachs Orchester- und Kammermusik: Das Handbuch, is part of an ambitious, multi-volume lexicon on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach which Laaber-Verlag refers to as a seven-volume set. However, because three of the “volumes” consist of two separate books, called “teilbänder” by the publisher, the completed series will consist of ten individual books. The first five volumes (in eight separate books), which are devoted to Bach’s works, treat respectively: the cantatas; the Latin sacred music; the passions, oratorios, and motets; the keyboard music; and, in the volume discussed here, the orchestral and chamber music. The remaining two (biographically-oriented) volumes, not yet released, will be the new Bach-Lexikon, edited by Siegbert Rampe, an expanded and revised edition of Das Bach-Lexikon (Michael Heinemann, ed. [Laaber: Laaber-Verlag, 2000]) and Bachs Welt, which, according to the publisher’s Web site will be a collection of “images, texts, and documents,” and is still in preparation with no volume editor named yet. Even ignoring the rest of this series, Bachs Orchester- und Kammermusik is by itself a major undertaking. Rampe alone authored the first Teilband on the orchestra music. The second Teilband on the chamber music is the collaborative work of seven contributors, two of whom, Dominik Sackmann and Rampe, served as editors. This Handbuch examines Bach’s instrumental music from the viewpoint of historical performance practice in its broadest sense. Rampe and two of the other contributors mention their professional activity as performers in their brief biographies (2:399–400), so it is not surprising that the information contained in this Handbuch will especially interest performers who want to inform themselves about the pieces. Such a work cannot appear from nowhere, and indeed, in his foreword, Rampe sets out a list of twelve titles that he considers foundational that cover different aspects of Bach’s instrumental output, stating that the present work is “substantially based on the named works, while at the same time expanding upon them and bringing them up to date” (1:10). While three of the works mentioned, all dealing with the unaccompanied solos, were written in English (Joel Lester, Bach’s Works for Solo Violin: Style, Structure, Performance [New York: Oxford University Press, 1999]; David Ledbetter, Unaccompanied Bach: Performing the Solo Works [New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009]; and Jaap Schröder, Bach’s Solo Violin Works: A Performer’s Guide [New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007]), the remaining titles are in German. Some of these are widely available, if not widely read, in English-language libraries, such as the titles by Ulrich Siegele (Kompositionsweise und Bearbeitungstechnik in der Instrumentalmusik Johann Sebastian Bachs, Tübinger Beiträge zur Musikwissenschaft, bd. 3 [Neuhausen (Stuttgart): Hänssler, 1975]) and Hans Eppstein (Studien über J.S. Bachs Sonaten für ein Melodieinstrument und obligates Cembalo, Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, Studia musicologica Upsaliensia, Nova series 2 [Uppsala: Almqvist u. Wiksells, 1966]), while others are hardly available and difficult to access (Reinhard Seiffert, J.S. Bach, Sei Solo: Sechs Sonaten und Partiten für Violine; Interpretation, Aufführungspraxis, Authentizität [Munich: Praxis und Hintergrund, 1991] and Ingrid Fuchs, “Die sechs Suiten für Violoncello Solo (BWV 1007–1012) von Johann Sebastian Bach: Ein Beitrag zur historischen Stellung, Aufführungspraxis und Editionsgeschichte” [Ph.D. diss., University of Vienna, 1980]). While the distinction between orchestral and chamber music is anachronous and [End Page 81] arbitrary (in Bach’s time “chamber” music was a designation meant to distinguish it from music for the church or theater, and much of what we would now consider orchestral, such as concertos, would likely have been performed without a conductor or the doubling of parts) it is logical to the modern reader. Because Bach wrote fewer “orchestral” pieces, the first book has more room for chapters that provide contextual historical information that is pertinent to more than one piece or body of pieces...

Performing solo Bach: A case study of musical decision-making

This study explores how an expert period instrument musician makes musical decisions, focusing on the distinction between intuitive (Type 1) and deliberate (Type 2) processes as defined by dual-process theories of cognition (Evans, 2008). A case study of the cellist Daniel Yeadon was conducted over 2 years, during which extensive quasi think-aloud and performance data were collected regarding Yeadon’s interpretation of the Suites for Solo Cello by J. S. Bach (BWV 1007–1012). Analysis of this data resulted in the categorization of 134 musical decisions as intuitive, procedural, deliberate, or deliberate HIP (historically informed performance). Procedural decisions were a subset of intuitive, defined as previously deliberate decisions that had become automatic over time. The category of deliberate HIP consisted of decisions that were explained with reference to specific knowledge of historical performance practices. A large proportion of deliberate decision-making was found (65% overall), with deliberate processes dictating the majority of decisions across all performance features except for tone color and ornamentation. Musical decisions discussed in the study demonstrate that performers often manipulate several features of the music simultaneously (making coding and analysis complicated), whether consciously or otherwise. The highest number of musical decisions related to articulation and phrasing, a result that highlights important components of current HIP style. Implications for dual-process theories include the novel category of procedural that demonstrates differences within intuitive (Type 1) processes.

To Sing the New Song… About the Art of Aggiornamento

The postmodern comprehension of aggiornamento, which continues the tradition in a certain artistic freedom from the origin, is different from the well-balanced aggiornamento understanding of the Council Fathers. They intend to liberate the Christian from solidification as well as overgrowth and to focus on the essential of the Christian belief, namely Jesus Christ. In the recent time there has been additionally a historicizing tendency of aggiornamento, which looks back again at the historical performance practice and belongs to the field of it. Referring to statements of important Council fathers, aggiornamento is developed as a process with several aspects for the pastoral practice, which also includes an existential level.

The Cambridge history of musical performance

The intricacies and challenges of musical performance have recently attracted the attention of writers and scholars to a greater extent than ever before. Research into the performer's experience has begun to explore such areas as practice techniques, performance anxiety and memorisation, as well as many other professional issues. Historical performance practice has been the subject of lively debate way beyond academic circles, mirroring its high profile in the recording studio and the concert hall. Reflecting the strong ongoing interest in the role of performers and performance, this History brings together research from leading scholars and historians and, importantly, features contributions from accomplished performers, whose practical experiences give the volume a unique vitality. Moving the focus away from the composers and onto the musicians responsible for bringing the music to life, this History presents a fresh, integrated and innovative perspective on performance history and practice, from the earliest times to today.

Philmore Ensemble (review)

This is the debut recording by Philmore Ensemble, group formed at Temple university in 2004 initially by .A.manda Heckman (flute), Duane Large (guitars), and Julia Madden (soprano), later joined by Myanna Harvey (violin. viola). The groups mission, as Large writes in the booklet. is to offer a fresh and engaging look at the works of popular and lesser-known composers, and to bring to life that has fallen into obscurity and shed different light on will-known music. The group plays works ranging from the Renaissance era through the twenty-first century, with special locus on the nineteenth century, and all of these periods are represented in the selections on this disc. Their instrumentation dictates variety of repertoire, with some works played as written, some necessitating the combinations of two or more members, and sonic necessitating the addition of guest artists--special guest pianist Tim Ribchester joins the ensemble for two of the fourteen selections here, both of which are songs. The disc lacks work in which all four primary members perform together, as die title states plainly. The Adagio non molto-Allegro Moderato movement from Wenzeslaus Matiegka's Serenade, op. 26, for guitar, flute, and viola, is one Of two pieces on the disc in which the group's instrumentalists combine forces. Matiegka (1773--18301. Bohemian guitarist and composer active in vienna, is most likely one of the lesser-known composers the ensemble intends to highlight. All of his published works are either for guitar solo or chamber ensembles including guitar. so it seems probable this ensemble will include other Matiegka works in its repertoire. If they were going to dedicate themselves solely to classical music, Matiegka might be good choice for the ensemble's name, but the stated scope of this group is not bound to one side or era--their name is portmanteau of Philadelphia and Baltimore, the cities where the members live. This is not group overly concerned with the strictures of historical performance practice. although Large writes in his notes that with the eighteenth and particularly nineteenth-century music on this disc the ensemble implements the use of the Italian style by employing tempo rubato and extemporizing on the music itself. This approach is audible on the Matiegka recording, on which Large plays period insoninent Francois Rondhloff. ca. 1815, creating bright sound that offsets the flute and viola nicely in the mix. I wish they had included the remaining two movements. but I realize they were by the time constraints of the compact disc format--especially when attempting to include music from live centuries. The ensemble's blend sounds better on this work than it does on many other tracks on this disc, which prompts my primary complaint about this disc: the levels seem bit too hot throughout. diminishing the dynamic range of the playing. I doubt the musicians were playing in range constantly between mezzo forte and forte. Perhaps it is the result of close-microphone placement during recording. or engineering choices made in die mixing and mastering stages, but the instruments sound loud even when playback volume is decreased. Another issue compromising the listening experience is the sense that. different instruments often sound as if they were recorded in disparate locations instead of being in the same room. For example, in the performance of Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg's Monolog der Maria Stuart, arranged for guitar, flute, and soprano by Albert Methfessel, it sounds as if soprano Julia Madden is singing in much more cavernous space than the one in which her instrumental collaborators are playing. …

K vprašanju povezanosti in neskladja med orgelskim repertoarjem, improvizacijo in ansambelsko igro

Odnos med orgelsko uglasitvijo in skoraj vsemi drugimi področji glasbene prakse v Severni in Centralni Nemčiji 17. in 18. stoletja predstavlja ključni dejavnik zgodovinske izvajalne prakse. Vprašanje orgelske uglasitve se je obravnavalo ali kot del splošnega zgodovinskega razvoja teorije uglaševanja ali na podlagi domnevne povezanosti s skladbami t.i. »orgelskega repertoarja«, na katerega se je pogosto gledalo z vidika kasnejše liturgične in orgelske koncertantne prakse. Odnosa med ansambelsko igro in orgelsko uglasitvijo se v modernih časih ni dovolj ali sploh kaj upoštevalo. Zdi se, da so mnenja o izvajalni praksi in navade znotraj slednje predstavljale in še vedno predstavljajo delno oviro pri razumevanju odnosov med orgelsko igro, skladbami, orgelsko uglasitvijo in izvajalno prakso v Severni in Centralni Nemčiji 17. in 18. stoletja. Članek skuša odstraniti nekatere teh ovir.

James Tyler (3 August 1940-23 November 2010)

Distinguished American lutenist, early music director, author and educator James Tyler died suddenly on 23 November 2010 in Los Angeles. A central figure in the early music revival, he conducted groundbreaking research in historical performance practice, and created a world-renowned postgraduate programme in early music. Jim was born on 3 August 1940 in Hartford, Connecticut. In his late teens he attended a recital by lute virtuoso Joseph Iadone, an event that led to Iadone accepting him as a private pupil. In 1963, Jim followed in his mentor's footsteps, joining the early music ensemble New York Pro Musica. He made his recording debut the same year and performed with the Consort Players and Sir Basil Rathbone in ‘An Elizabethan Evening at the White House’ before President and Mrs Kennedy. During the 1970s and 80s Jim was at the forefront of the British early music scene, performing and recording with such groundbreaking period-instrument ensembles as Musica Reservata under Michael Morrow, the Consort of Musicke (which he co-founded with Anthony Rooley) and the Early Music Consort of London under David Munrow. In 1977, he founded his own ensemble, the London Early Music Group, and also became a member of the Julian Bream Consort.

The End of Early Music: A Period Performer's History of Music for the Twenty-First Century (review)

The End of Early Music: Period Performer's History of Music for Twenty-First Century. By Bruce Haynes. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. [xix, 284 p. ISBN-10 0195189876; ISBN-13 9780195189872. $35.] Music examples, illustrations, bibliography, index. Do we ever stop to consider philosophy behind our approach to performance other than acknowledging that we belong to a particular pedagogical tradition? My teacher studied with Segovia, your teacher's teacher studied with Galamian, and she can trace her pedagogical lineage back to Beethoven or even farther. More significantly though, we are products of our age, captives of current performance style that rules our conservatories, stages, and recording studios. Or are we? Recent years have witnessed an increasing number of superb books devoted to historical performance practice, some very specific such as Ross Duffin's How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (and Why You Should Care) (New York: W. W. Norton, 2007) that examine tree, whereas books such as Peter Walls' History, Imagination, and Performance of Music (Rochester: Boydell and Brewer, 2003) survey entire forest. In cleverly and intriguingly titled The End of Early Music: Period Performer's History of Music for Twenty-First Century, oboist Bruce Haynes views entire landscape. Bruce Haynes has made his mark as one of world's finest baroque oboists, as an instrument builder, and as author of several important essays on recorder and oboe. His pivotal article, Beyond Temperament: Non-keyboard Intonation in 17th and 18th centuries (Early Music 19, no. 3 [August 1991]: 357-81) demonstrated that woodwind players did and still can accommodate themselves to unequal temperaments. His other two books, The Eloquent Oboe: History of Hautboy, 1640-1760 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), and History of Performing Pitch: The Story of A (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002), firmly established Haynes's credentials as a performer/ scholar with experience, perspective, and authority to assess where we have been,go from here. He writes with joyful abandon of a pleasingly crusty warrior who is well beyond caring whether his strong opinions might offend some, and his direct conversational style is designed to communicate rather than impress. It entertains as well. Witty quips leap from pages, and puns abound. For instance, Haynes quotes a colleague's rant lampooning performances that disregard HIP (Historically Informed Performance): Historically Clueless Performance? Wild Guesswork Performance? Whatever Feels Right Performance? Whatever My Personal Hero Did Must Be Right Performance? Didn't Do My Homework So I'll Wing It Performance? Anything Goes Performance? History is Irrelevant Performance? Whatever They Did On My Favorite Recording That's What I Must Imitate Performance? (p. 11) Humor aside, Haynes provides an invaluable service by framing issue of performance style in clearly defined terms that set parameters for broader discussion that must occur if classical music is to maintain, or as some would say, regain its stature as a relevant artistic force. Although Haynes covers a vast territory during course of thirteen chapters, four main topics emerge: condescension of chronocentrism; designation of performance approach into romantic, mainstream, and period styles; historical aberration of canonism; and finally, text fetishism, its stiff and inflexible trail buddy. Chronocentrism, we learn, is the that one's own time or period is superior; equivalent in time of spatial concept of ethnocentrism (p. 14). In musical terms, this is manifested by applying our modern performance philosophy to music of all other eras rather than matching music of a particular era with performing style that goes with it. This attitude is now largely abhorred in progressive society, but still permeates music. …

Approaches to the use of iconography in historical reconstruction, and the curious case of Renaissance Welsh harp technique

Successful research into historical performance practice often relies on the integration of information from many kinds of textual and iconographical sources. However, artists frequently take liberties in depicting their subjects, and it is seldom a straightforward task to distinguish which aspects of a work are indicative of actual historical performance practice and which are the result of artistic licence. One way to address this issue is through so-called ‘inferential statistical analysis’, by which the data gleaned from a representative sample of interest are compared against the mathematically derived probability that the same results could have occurred by chance. In this paper, the basic ideas and techniques of inferential statistical analysis are applied to the study of harp technique in late medieval and early Renaissance Wales. The results reinforce the conclusions drawn from textual and archaeological studies, and offer direction for modern players interested in playing early Welsh repertory in a historically informed way. More important, however, is the possibility that the empirical approach used in this study may be of use to scholars in any number of fields fascinated by questions of historical practice and reality. The use of inferential statistics offers the researcher an escape from the fallacy of pretending that the puzzle is comprised only of the pieces in sight. Rather, he or she can assess the quantity and quality of what they have learned, and make an informed decision about the path to pursue while remaining open to the very real possibility that things may be otherwise. The framework of historical awareness and quantitative savvy highlights the importance of the individual mind in the construction of history, and gives it a clear view of the problems and pitfalls it must overcome.

Book Review: "Performance on Lute, Guitar and Vihuela: Historical Performance Practice and Interpretation" by Victor Anand Coelho

Zuluaga reviews Coelho's 2005 book. Coelho, Victor Anand, ed. "Performance on Lute, Guitar and Vihuela: Historical Performance Practice and Interpretation." Cambridge University Press, 2005. Cambridge Studies in Performance Practice, no. 6. ISBN 0-521-10943-5.

Shushin Kani'iri (Possessed by Love, Thwarted by the Bell): A Kumi Odori by Tamagusuku Chokun, as Staged by Kin Ryosho

Kumi odori is an aristocratic dance-drama developed in 1719 by Tamagusuku Chōkun as part of Okinawan court performance for the ritual investiture of the monarch. Shūshin Kani'iri (Possessed by Love, Thwarted by the Bell) was written for this court presentation and has remained one of the most frequently performed works. The all-male form, which combines music, dance, and narrative, has Okinawan, Chinese, and Japanese roots. Kumi odori's most important performances for 250 years were in the context of ukwanshin entertainments for the official envoys sent by the Chinese emperor. With the demise of court in 1879, the genre languished until it was designated as an important cultural asset by the Japanese government in 1972. This article gives an introduction to kumi odori based on the practice of Kin Ryōshō, an important twentieth-century practitioner of the form. A translation of the 1719 classic Shūshin Kani'iri (Possessed by Love, Thwarted by the Bell) with stage directions reflecting Kin Sensei's choreography gives an example of this important art. Shūshin Kani'iri has been a consistent part of the repertoire and was recently presented at the opening of the new National Kumi Odori Theatre (Kokuritsu Kumi Odori Gekijō) in Urasoe-shi near Naha in 2004.

Haydn and the English classical piano style

Journal Article Haydn and the English classical piano style Get access Bart van Oort Bart van Oort Teaches fortepiano and lectures in historical performance practice at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague. He has performed widely in Europe and the United States and made concert and lecture tours through Australia and New Zealand. His recordings include solo repertory and chamber music his ensemble Musica Classica. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Early Music, Volume XXVIII, Issue 1, February 2000, Pages 73–90, https://doi.org/10.1093/earlyj/XXVIII.1.73 Published: 01 February 2000

The Indispensible Harp: Historical Development, Modern Roles, Configurations, and Performance Practices in Ecuador and Latin America

The Indispensible Harp: Historical Development, Modern Roles, Configurations, and Performance Practices in Ecuador and Latin America

L'armonia sonora: continuo orchestration in Monteverdi's Orfeo

Journal Article L'armonia sonora: continuo orchestration in Monteverdi's Orfeo Get access Stephen Stubbs Stephen Stubbs Stephen Stubbs is professor of lute and historical performance practices at the Akademie für Alte Musik and the Hochschule der Kunste in Bremen. He is also the director of the ensemble Tragicomedia, which has recently issued two Monteverdi recordings. He has directed staged performances of all three of Monteverdi's extant operas. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Early Music, Volume XXII, Issue 1, February 1994, Pages 86–100, https://doi.org/10.1093/earlyj/XXII.1.86 Published: 01 February 1994

The Indispensable Harp: Historical Development, Modern Roles, Configurations, and Performance Practices in Ecuador and Latin America

The Indispensable Harp: Historical Development, Modern Roles, Configurations, and Performance Practices in Ecuador and Latin America

The Indispensable Harp: Historical Development, Modern Roles, Configurations, and Performance Practices in Ecuador and Latin America

The Indispensable Harp: Historical Development, Modern Roles, Configurations, and Performance Practices in Ecuador and Latin America

Books

Books Get access The harpsichord and its repertoire: proceedings of the International Harpsichord Symposium Utrecht 1990 Edited by Pieter Dirksen STIMU Foundation for Historical Performance Practice, utrecht, 1992 Hfl 47.50 Howard Schott Howard Schott Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Early Music, Volume XXI, Issue 4, November 1993, Pages 634–636, https://doi.org/10.1093/earlyj/XXI.4.634 Published: 01 November 1993

The Indispensable Harp: Historical Development, Modern Roles, Configurations, and Performance Practices in Ecuador and Latin America

The Indispensable Harp: Historical Development, Modern Roles, Configurations, and Performance Practices in Ecuador and Latin America