Historical Performance Practices (MUSL 249)

The last time you watched Amadeus or Farinelli, did you stop and think about what the music sounded like and why it might have sounded "older," and maybe even "more exotic," than some modern performances? Or have you had a chance to listen to performances by Roger Norrington and the London Classical Players or Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert that are advertised under the heading of "authentic performances"? Perhaps you've had a chance to hear a harpsichord recital--and noticed that the program consisted of Baroque music.

The performers in all of these instances have opted for "historically informed" performances that take into account the way the composer might have heard the piece performed. In this course, you'll learn what resources are available to instruct us on the sounds a particular composer expected to hear. You'll also practice some basic elements of historically-informed performance such as ornamentation, improvisation, and articulation--and discover how those skills vary from period to period. You'll even have a chance to examine the original notation of a Mozart piano concerto in order to determine how the visual "mess" of Mozart's page might help us to figure out what he wanted to hear!

Prerequisite: MUSL 140 or 141; musical literacy a plus

Credit?
Arts and Science--elective
Engineering--humanities
Peabody--humanities

Return to Music to Go or go to Introduction to Music Literature.