In the centuries that have passed since the premiere of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Leipzig’s St. Thomas’s Church at the Good Friday service in 1727, the work has had a remarkable performance history. Despite the fact that it received a number of repeat performances during Bach’s own lifetime (in revised versions), the St. Matthew Passion was largely forgotten after the composer’s passing until Felix Mendelssohn “resurrected” it in Berlin in 1829 with the localSing-Akademie and the Philharmonische Gesellschaft. The latter performance created such a level of excitement and interest in musical circles that two repeat performances followed soon after, despite Mendelssohn’s absence from Berlin. In 1970, Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s groundbreaking Telefunken LP of the St. Matthew Passion with the period instrument band Concentus Musicus Wien was released, a recording that, above all, stood in stark contrast to the consistent growth in the size of choirs performing this work that had occurred over centuries since Bach’s first performance in 1727. As with Mendelssohn’s performance, Harnoncourt’s interpretation generated great interest in scholarly circles and among the listening public. This critical commentary examines the size and constitution of the vocal and instrumental forces of all three performances of the St. Matthew Passion, as well as the extent to which those of 1829 and 1970 adhered to what is known of Bach’s own practices. In addition to investigating the choices made by the respective musical directors in this respect, the reception of Mendelssohn’s and Harnoncourt’s performances will also be considered.

With a career spanning over four decades, Henry Fillmore earned wide recognition as an important and prolific composer of marches and trombone smears in the wind band medium. While he contributed significantly to chamber music, solo literature, vocal settings, and arrangements for band, his compositions for wind band have arguably provided his most universal acclaim. Fillmore’s published marches are unique in that scores rarely had performance markings and contained little more than notes and repeat signs. Fillmore conducted most of his marches and altered march strains, changed orchestration, and added stylistic markings that were not indicated in the original printed score. This research is focused on preparing and presenting historically accurate performances of the marches and smears of Henry Fillmore with appropriate march style. More specifically, the author wishes to provide an approach to the interpretation of Fillmore’s music that directly portrays the historical performance practices of Fillmore’s performances of his own works and interpretative methodology. Those who wish to consider this historically accurate approach may apply this document’s analysis of primary source recordings of Fillmore conducting his music in addition to new included performance editions of specified marches and smears.

This critical commentary investigates performance practice issues in Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni’s Concerto à cinque, op. 9 no. 5 (Amsterdam: Le Cène, 1722). It aims to stimulate players of the modern oboe to consider an historically informed approach towards the performance of this work through an assessment of relevant literature. Albinoni’s (1671–1750/51) professional career and the musical environment of Venice at this time form the backdrop for the study. The insularity of Albinoni’s life in Venice can be seen to have shaped certain original elements of his work. Furthermore, the increased availability of woodwind virtuosos in northern Italy during the early eighteenth century saw the composition of concertos for the oboe become an established part of Venetian musical life. This critical commentary includes a review of both historical treatises and modern literature that focus on the major performance practice parameters of tempo, dynamics, articulation and ornamentation. The historical treatises provide oboists with an understanding of the general practice during the baroque period, while the modern literature offers further discussion and analysis of these sources, alongside newer ideas for approaching the performance of Albinoni’s concerto. The resulting suggestions should not be regarded as rigid rules that contemporary performers must follow, but rather aim to give them more insight into the possible interpretation of the work. Thus the study provides both background information on the Concerto and guidelines on performance practice to assist oboists in generating their own ideas so that they can then develop their own interpretation of Albinoni’s concerto based on the evidence obtained from extensive research.

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The hypothesis of this study entails the formulation of interpretative solutions for J. S. Bach's Capriccio in B flat major. The "Interpretative Analysis" mentioned in the title, strives to provide a synthesis in which the cognitive understanding of the music can contribute to a more informed aesthetic interpretation of the music. In the ensuing study this objective is realised by examining the origin of the work and the sources from which it was handed down, the style in which the Capriccio was composed and conceived, the performance practices prevalent in the early eighteenth century and the applicability thereof to the music of J. S. Bach, the structure of the Capriccio, and lastly the different instruments on which the Capriccio can be performed and the impact which this choice has on any performance thereof. / Department of Musicology / M.Mus.

The hypothesis of this study entails the formulation of interpretative solutions for J. S. Bach's Capriccio in B flat major. The "Interpretative Analysis" mentioned in the title, strives to provide a synthesis in which the cognitive understanding of the music can contribute to a more informed aesthetic interpretation of the music. In the ensuing study this objective is realised by examining the origin of the work and the sources from which it was handed down, the style in which the Capriccio was composed and conceived, the performance practices prevalent in the early eighteenth century and the applicability thereof to the music of J. S. Bach, the structure of the Capriccio, and lastly the different instruments on which the Capriccio can be performed and the impact which this choice has on any performance thereof. / Department of Musicology / M.Mus.