Investigation of the historically informed performance movement with regard to its influence on violoncello playing since 1981 is approached in this critical commentary through the analysis of three different interpretations of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major. These interpretations are recordings by prominent cellists who have influenced or been influenced by the rise in popularity of the historically informed performance movement, namely Anner Bylsma, Pieter Wispelwey and Yo-Yo Ma. The critical commentary includes a brief summary of the musical careers of each individual and reports on the publicity surrounding them in an attempt to discover each performer’s views on the importance of historical performance practice and the extent to which these views are reflected in their performances. In order to establish what constitutes a historically informed interpretation of Haydn’s Cello Concerto, this document provides a brief background to the historical performance movement and also to the work itself. In the critical commentary, this work is analysed in relation to six specific aspects of historically informed interpretation: instrumentation, pitch, vibrato, tempo, ornamentation and cadential improvisation. By examining and comparing these aspects in the aforementioned twentieth-century recordings, this critical commentary concludes in support of Taruskin’s (1984) position on the now fashionable debate of historical performance practice. Namely, that the historical performance movement has been influenced as much by modern taste and aesthetics as by the attempt to create historically ‘accurate’ music.

Investigation of the historically informed performance movement with regard to its influence on violoncello playing since 1981 is approached in this critical commentary through the analysis of three different interpretations of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major. These interpretations are recordings by prominent cellists who have influenced or been influenced by the rise in popularity of the historically informed performance movement, namely Anner Bylsma, Pieter Wispelwey and Yo-Yo Ma. The critical commentary includes a brief summary of the musical careers of each individual and reports on the publicity surrounding them in an attempt to discover each performer’s views on the importance of historical performance practice and the extent to which these views are reflected in their performances. In order to establish what constitutes a historically informed interpretation of Haydn’s Cello Concerto, this document provides a brief background to the historical performance movement and also to the work itself. In the critical commentary, this work is analysed in relation to six specific aspects of historically informed interpretation: instrumentation, pitch, vibrato, tempo, ornamentation and cadential improvisation. By examining and comparing these aspects in the aforementioned twentieth-century recordings, this critical commentary concludes in support of Taruskin’s (1984) position on the now fashionable debate of historical performance practice. Namely, that the historical performance movement has been influenced as much by modern taste and aesthetics as by the attempt to create historically ‘accurate’ music.

Investigation of the historically informed performance movement with regard to its influence on violoncello playing since 1981 is approached in this critical commentary through the analysis of three different interpretations of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major. These interpretations are recordings by prominent cellists who have influenced or been influenced by the rise in popularity of the historically informed performance movement, namely Anner Bylsma, Pieter Wispelwey and Yo-Yo Ma. The critical commentary includes a brief summary of the musical careers of each individual and reports on the publicity surrounding them in an attempt to discover each performer’s views on the importance of historical performance practice and the extent to which these views are reflected in their performances. In order to establish what constitutes a historically informed interpretation of Haydn’s Cello Concerto, this document provides a brief background to the historical performance movement and also to the work itself. In the critical commentary, this work is analysed in relation to six specific aspects of historically informed interpretation: instrumentation, pitch, vibrato, tempo, ornamentation and cadential improvisation. By examining and comparing these aspects in the aforementioned twentieth-century recordings, this critical commentary concludes in support of Taruskin’s (1984) position on the now fashionable debate of historical performance practice. Namely, that the historical performance movement has been influenced as much by modern taste and aesthetics as by the attempt to create historically ‘accurate’ music.

When the Joffrey Ballet reconstructed the 1913 production of Le Sacre du printemps in 1987 and restaged Les Noces in 1989, the reception of these ballets drew upon the prevailing ideals of authenticity that also existed in music. The period’s Early Music revival emphasized the historically-informed performance of past music, using period instruments and techniques to approach an assumedly “authentic” performance. Over the course of twenty years in the late twentieth century the repertoire performed and recorded expanded chronologically closer to the present, challenging original conceptions that the nineteenth century was the benchmark for modern music and influencing the critical reception of later artistic works, including those of the Joffrey. Because the Joffrey’s productions took place at Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, this thesis presents a reception history of them that highlights both a national and local, Iowan narrative. This history is informed by archival documents from the University of Iowa’s Special Collections on the Iowa Center for the Performing Arts and from Hancher Auditorium. Hancher’s collection of press releases, coupled with the newspaper and magazine clippings, contributed to the cultivation of the Joffrey’s public image and those of the two ballets. These works—specifically their scores by Igor Stravinsky and their original choreographers Vaslav Nijinky and Bronislava Nijinska—are seen as pioneers of modernism. Yet, the reception of their reconstructed ballets took place at the height of the Early Music movement’s popularity. Reviewers weighed in on Le Sacre du printemps’ authenticity and their discussion of Les Noces also emphasizes legacy—be it that of the Joffrey Company itself, the legacy of the sibling choreographers, or that of the two works within the ballet repertoire. A comparison of the reception of these two productions also reveals the distinctions between reconstruction and revival.

For over one hundred years the drum kit has been a driving force in shaping popular music, yet in popular culture the kit is not taken as seriously as other instruments, with drummer jokes abound. This hierarchy is reflected across academia and music literature, where the drum kit is least discussed amongst other instruments commonly found in popular music. Looking within the context of early jazz—one of the first styles of music the drum kit helped shape—historians and publishers were keen to ensure leading horn players told their story, while the drummers, who rarely secured similar levels of fame or recognition, had comparatively little chance to record their story. Detailed histories of the instrument are therefore scarce, incomplete, or riddled with inaccuracies and misunderstandings. This thesis presents a clear and detailed history of the instrument, from its beginnings to its early form in the mid 1930s. I then examine how the early drum kit was represented at the time through recordings, one of the most important methods of documenting how this instrument was used. Finally, I investigate how drummers performing on early drum kits today approach their playing, and how they deal with the problems identified in this thesis. In doing so I used optical character recognition (OCR) on digital archives, newspapers, interviews, magazines, catalogues and photographs from the early twentieth century, much of which has only become available in the past few years. Using these primary sources, I have constructed a reliable history and have unearthed new sources that shed light on the history and development of the instrument. Furthermore, through my own experiences and interviews of current early drum kit players, I have shown how this instrument in its early form is played, and how it differs from the instrument we know today.

Este trabalho compara as duas gravações realizadas pelo pianista András Schiff em 1984 e 2011, respectivamente, do Cravo Bem-Temperado de J. S. Bach, e discute as entrevistas concedidas pelo pianista à imprensa especializada, nas quais ele expõe sua abordagem com relação à interpretação da música de J. S. Bach. O objetivo do trabalho é corroborar a hipótese de que o pianista adota, na sua gravação mais recente, uma abordagem mais próxima ao estilo de performance da música barroca denominado estilo retórico, conforme proposto por Haynes (2007) e Golomb (2004; 2008). Conclui-se, através da análise das gravações e das entrevistas supracitadas, que Schiff adota princípios do estilo retórico na sua execução, além de reconhecer implicitamente, nas suas entrevistas, a relevância dos princípios retóricos para a execução da música de Bach. Também são discutidos os argumentos do pianista a favor do uso do piano como instrumento apropriado para a execução da música de Bach e da rejeição do uso do pedal de sustentação deste instrumento, e a relação de Schiff com o movimento da Performance Historicamente Informada. / This paper compares the two recordings made by the pianist András Schiff in 1984 and 2011, respectively, of the First Book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach, and discusses the interviews granted by the pianist to the specialized press where he exposes his approach to the interpretation of Bach's music. The paper aims to support the hypothesis that the pianist adopts in his latest recording an approach called Rhetorical Style by Haynes (2007) and Golomb (2004; 2008) which, according to the authors, is closer to the Baroque Music performance style. By analyzing the aforementioned recordings and interviews, it is concluded that Schiff adopts principles of the Rhetorical Style in his performance, and also implicitly acknowledges in his interviews the relevance of rhetorical principles for the execution of Bach's music. Also discussed are the pianist's arguments in favor of using the piano as an appropriate instrument for the execution of Bach's music and against the use of the instrument' sustain pedal, in addition to Schiff's relationship with the Historically Informed Performance movement.

Este trabalho compara as duas gravações realizadas pelo pianista András Schiff em 1984 e 2011, respectivamente, do Cravo Bem-Temperado de J. S. Bach, e discute as entrevistas concedidas pelo pianista à imprensa especializada, nas quais ele expõe sua abordagem com relação à interpretação da música de J. S. Bach. O objetivo do trabalho é corroborar a hipótese de que o pianista adota, na sua gravação mais recente, uma abordagem mais próxima ao estilo de performance da música barroca denominado estilo retórico, conforme proposto por Haynes (2007) e Golomb (2004; 2008). Conclui-se, através da análise das gravações e das entrevistas supracitadas, que Schiff adota princípios do estilo retórico na sua execução, além de reconhecer implicitamente, nas suas entrevistas, a relevância dos princípios retóricos para a execução da música de Bach. Também são discutidos os argumentos do pianista a favor do uso do piano como instrumento apropriado para a execução da música de Bach e da rejeição do uso do pedal de sustentação deste instrumento, e a relação de Schiff com o movimento da Performance Historicamente Informada. / This paper compares the two recordings made by the pianist András Schiff in 1984 and 2011, respectively, of the First Book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach, and discusses the interviews granted by the pianist to the specialized press where he exposes his approach to the interpretation of Bach's music. The paper aims to support the hypothesis that the pianist adopts in his latest recording an approach called Rhetorical Style by Haynes (2007) and Golomb (2004; 2008) which, according to the authors, is closer to the Baroque Music performance style. By analyzing the aforementioned recordings and interviews, it is concluded that Schiff adopts principles of the Rhetorical Style in his performance, and also implicitly acknowledges in his interviews the relevance of rhetorical principles for the execution of Bach's music. Also discussed are the pianist's arguments in favor of using the piano as an appropriate instrument for the execution of Bach's music and against the use of the instrument' sustain pedal, in addition to Schiff's relationship with the Historically Informed Performance movement.

Este trabalho compara as duas gravações realizadas pelo pianista András Schiff em 1984 e 2011, respectivamente, do Cravo Bem-Temperado de J. S. Bach, e discute as entrevistas concedidas pelo pianista à imprensa especializada, nas quais ele expõe sua abordagem com relação à interpretação da música de J. S. Bach. O objetivo do trabalho é corroborar a hipótese de que o pianista adota, na sua gravação mais recente, uma abordagem mais próxima ao estilo de performance da música barroca denominado estilo retórico, conforme proposto por Haynes (2007) e Golomb (2004; 2008). Conclui-se, através da análise das gravações e das entrevistas supracitadas, que Schiff adota princípios do estilo retórico na sua execução, além de reconhecer implicitamente, nas suas entrevistas, a relevância dos princípios retóricos para a execução da música de Bach. Também são discutidos os argumentos do pianista a favor do uso do piano como instrumento apropriado para a execução da música de Bach e da rejeição do uso do pedal de sustentação deste instrumento, e a relação de Schiff com o movimento da Performance Historicamente Informada. / This paper compares the two recordings made by the pianist András Schiff in 1984 and 2011, respectively, of the First Book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach, and discusses the interviews granted by the pianist to the specialized press where he exposes his approach to the interpretation of Bach's music. The paper aims to support the hypothesis that the pianist adopts in his latest recording an approach called Rhetorical Style by Haynes (2007) and Golomb (2004; 2008) which, according to the authors, is closer to the Baroque Music performance style. By analyzing the aforementioned recordings and interviews, it is concluded that Schiff adopts principles of the Rhetorical Style in his performance, and also implicitly acknowledges in his interviews the relevance of rhetorical principles for the execution of Bach's music. Also discussed are the pianist's arguments in favor of using the piano as an appropriate instrument for the execution of Bach's music and against the use of the instrument' sustain pedal, in addition to Schiff's relationship with the Historically Informed Performance movement.

A two-fold analysis of the vocal ornamentation in Handel's aria, "He was despised" from Messiah, was conducted employing objective and subjective forms of listening practice associated with the analysis of recordings methodology. It is this author's hypothesis that prosody, born of the semiotic processes of rhythm, pitch and accent, and which is also reflective of the subjective understanding of the performer, will be present during the moment of an ornament--if it is present at all in any performance. Ornamentation is shown to be an entry into the world of subjectivity in Baroque vocal performance practice as well as a window into the oral tradition and the primacy of the singer's expressiveness that relates back to the Italian school to which Handel subscribed. The method of study in this monograph consists of examining scholarly writings, scores, notations and most importantly, applying listening practice to 38 different renditions of "He was despised," executed by female altos or by countertenors, under the direction of various conductors, dating from 1927 through 2006. The first of two listening practices is an analysis of recordings to identify and review the nature of the non-notated sung ornaments found in the recordings. The author develops a system of defining and categorizing the types and units of non-notated, aurally observed vocal ornaments executed in each performance. In the second phase of this study, the author incorporates a postmodern philosophical approach and notes her own subjective experiences during the analysis of recordings. This phase examines the idea that prosodic elements are associated with the subjective experience of emotional meaning, elucidation of text, and illumination of subtext in this aria from Handel's Messiah. Results include noteworthy findings about the interplay of the singer's subjectivity with ornamentation in affecting the listener's subjective reaction to the performance (e.g., narrator's viewpoint, beautifying versus emphasizing subtext). In conclusion, the author explores the relationship between a performer's prosodic and non-prosodic executions of ornamentation and proposes specific recommendations to singers who wish to execute ornamentation in a manner that is both historically informed as well as prosodically expressive of subtext. / Music Performance

Historisk informerte framføringer av klassisk musikk blir en mer og mer vanlig tilnærmingsmetode for moderne musikere. Denne oppgaven utforsker ulike aspekter av en slik innstuderingsprosess. Oppgaven beskriver hvordan kunnskap om romantisk tolkningstradisjon og spillestil kan berike og frigjøre musikeren, men problematiserer samtidig aspekter som tradisjon og stilmessig korrekthet. Som grunnlag for denne diskusjonen ligger Johannes Brahms sonate i Ess-dur for bratsj og klaver, samt tre forskjellige innspillinger gjort av fiolinisten Joseph Joachim i 1903. Ved hjelp av disse kildene viser jeg hvordan man kan tenkes at denne sonaten kunne blitt tolket i Brahms sin samtid, og diskuterer videre hvordan jeg vil tolke sonaten selv i lys av denne kunnskapen. Resultatet er en informert framføring av sonaten, hvor jeg har tatt i betraktning den romantiske spillestilen, men ikke på bekostning av min selvstendige tolkning av verket.