This essay aims to examine to what extent should classical performers seek to recreate “authentic performances” of the past. Roger Norrington and the London Classical Players’ recordings of the Beethoven symphonies will be used as a case study to support the argument.
Classical performers, are in this context, musicians who present a classical music performance. There is no defined boundary of what precisely is classical music, but classical music in this essay generally refers to art music with Western traditions. The music has a written musical tradition, and is composed with structural and theoretical considerations, and hence, has intention, where composers notate the exact notes, dynamics, instruments and performance directions etc. …show more content…
Nevertheless, due to increasing affluence of the middle class, increased accessibility of music and the rise of popularity of classical music especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, music took on a more important role in the lives of many. One can hardly expect the majority of current concert-goers to be scholars and historians. Hence, it is not surprising that for most, the main purpose of such musical performances is “significant for its human component”, to appeal to the human aspect, to allow listeners to feel and empathise, and less so of historical truth and …show more content…
This performance style gained many new listeners and received much commercial success. HIP performances, which are sometimes referred to as authentic performances, or period performances, claimed to be able to perform authentic recreations of what works sounded like when they were first conceived. To achieve this, research is conducted into the aesthetics of the time at which the work was first composed and performed. The performers may use period instruments, such as the harpsichord and viola da gamba, the same number and even gender of performers and the same venues in an attempt to recreate what is deemed as an authentic performance. The advent of technology increased the accessibility of such performances to the general public, (for example, through recordings and easy travelling,) and technology also made it possible for the delicate period instruments to be kept in tune, and helped to project the smaller volume of sound in larger halls for audiences to hear. Examples of HIP performances include Roger Norrington and the London Classical Players’ performances of Beethoven’s symphonies. This example, as well as more examples, will be discussed further in the essay.
Nonetheless, it is imperative to discuss what constitutes an authentic performance. Authenticity has been debated greatly and there is no clear definition on what authenticity is. Going by the definition
Classical performers, are in this context, musicians who present a classical music performance. There is no defined boundary of what precisely is classical music, but classical music in this essay generally refers to art music with Western traditions. The music has a written musical tradition, and is composed with structural and theoretical considerations, and hence, has intention, where composers notate the exact notes, dynamics, instruments and performance directions etc. …show more content…
Nevertheless, due to increasing affluence of the middle class, increased accessibility of music and the rise of popularity of classical music especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, music took on a more important role in the lives of many. One can hardly expect the majority of current concert-goers to be scholars and historians. Hence, it is not surprising that for most, the main purpose of such musical performances is “significant for its human component”, to appeal to the human aspect, to allow listeners to feel and empathise, and less so of historical truth and …show more content…
This performance style gained many new listeners and received much commercial success. HIP performances, which are sometimes referred to as authentic performances, or period performances, claimed to be able to perform authentic recreations of what works sounded like when they were first conceived. To achieve this, research is conducted into the aesthetics of the time at which the work was first composed and performed. The performers may use period instruments, such as the harpsichord and viola da gamba, the same number and even gender of performers and the same venues in an attempt to recreate what is deemed as an authentic performance. The advent of technology increased the accessibility of such performances to the general public, (for example, through recordings and easy travelling,) and technology also made it possible for the delicate period instruments to be kept in tune, and helped to project the smaller volume of sound in larger halls for audiences to hear. Examples of HIP performances include Roger Norrington and the London Classical Players’ performances of Beethoven’s symphonies. This example, as well as more examples, will be discussed further in the essay.
Nonetheless, it is imperative to discuss what constitutes an authentic performance. Authenticity has been debated greatly and there is no clear definition on what authenticity is. Going by the definition