
Contents
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Introduction Introduction
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Performance Practices Traversing Eras Performance Practices Traversing Eras
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Romantic and Modern Romantic and Modern
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Performance practice traditions Performance practice traditions
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Old practices and notational divergences Old practices and notational divergences
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The meaning of musical notation The meaning of musical notation
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Artistic agency Artistic agency
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Instructive editions Instructive editions
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The modernist revolution The modernist revolution
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The text-literal approach The text-literal approach
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Early sound recordings Early sound recordings
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Performance in the Romantic and Modern Eras Performance in the Romantic and Modern Eras
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Legato and slurring Legato and slurring
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Legato Legato
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Pianists’ legato Pianists’ legato
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Slurs over a few notes and slurred pairs Slurs over a few notes and slurred pairs
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Altering and adding slurs Altering and adding slurs
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Articulation Articulation
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Staccato Staccato
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Portato Portato
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Tenuto Tenuto
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Non-legato Non-legato
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String bowing String bowing
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Vibrato Vibrato
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Portamento Portamento
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Asynchrony and arpeggiation Asynchrony and arpeggiation
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Asynchrony Asynchrony
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Arpeggiation Arpeggiation
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Dynamics, accentuation, and accent signs Dynamics, accentuation, and accent signs
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Dynamics and accent marks Dynamics and accent marks
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Accentuation Accentuation
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Accent signs Accent signs
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Rhythmic modification Rhythmic modification
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Tempo Tempo
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Terms as tempo modifiers Terms as tempo modifiers
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Tempo modification Tempo modification
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Frequency of tempo change Frequency of tempo change
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Ornaments and Ornamentation Ornaments and Ornamentation
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Signs Signs
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Fioriturae Fioriturae
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Improvised ornaments and improvisation Improvised ornaments and improvisation
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Ensemble practices Ensemble practices
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Vocal and instrumental qualities Vocal and instrumental qualities
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Messa di voce Messa di voce
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Modern bel canto Modern bel canto
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Vocal projection Vocal projection
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Instrumental sounds Instrumental sounds
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Pitch and temperament Pitch and temperament
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The spaces of performance The spaces of performance
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Practical Implications: Three Case Studies Practical Implications: Three Case Studies
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Case Study 1: Tempo modification in the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15. Case Study 1: Tempo modification in the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15.
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Case Study 2: Chordal arpeggiation in Saint-Saëns’ Piano Quintet Op. 14 in A minor Case Study 2: Chordal arpeggiation in Saint-Saëns’ Piano Quintet Op. 14 in A minor
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Case Study 3: Various practices in the first movement of Op. 25 Case Study 3: Various practices in the first movement of Op. 25
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Conclusion Conclusion
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Key Sources Key Sources
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Reflective Questions Reflective Questions
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References References
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17 Performance Practices for Romantic and Modern Repertoire
Get accessNeal Peres Da Costa graduated with a BMus Hons (Class 1) at the University of Sydney before completing a postgraduate diploma in early music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and a Master of Music Performance at the City University in London. He was subsequently awarded a PhD from the University of Leeds. He is Associate Dean (Research) and Professor of Historical Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney. Peres Da Costa is recipient of two Australian Research Council Discovery Project grants, is an Australian Recording Industry Association winner, and has an exemplary track record in traditional and non-traditional research. As a performing scholar and world-recognized authority in historical performing practice, his particular specialty is eighteenth- and nineteenth-century piano playing. He has applied data embedded in written sources and early recordings in several performance and recording projects that combine practice-led and cyclical research processes and recording emulation to reimagine interpretations of music spanning from Mozart to Brahms.
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Published:13 January 2022
Cite
Abstract
This chapter examines performance practices in the long nineteenth century roughly spanning 1800–1950, the Romantic and Modern eras. It is structured in three parts. The first explores important concepts about performance traditions and performance practices in the era including: the meaning of music notation and notational divergences; artistic agency; concepts of “correct” and “beautiful” performance; modernist aesthetics; instructive editions; text-literal performance; and the importance of early sound recordings. The second part introduces key performance practices pertinent to singing and/or instrumental performance, drawing on a rich tapestry of written and recorded evidence. This includes legato, slurs, articulation, dynamics, accents, vibrato, portamento, bowing, asynchrony, arpeggiation, rhythmic alteration and nuance, tempo modification, ornaments and ornamentation, vocal, instrumental and ensemble practices, vocal and instrumental sounds, pitch, temperament, and performing spaces. The third part provides case studies demonstrating the author’s utilization of this information, expanding the palette of expressive means available in performance, and producing novel interpretations of canonical repertoire. The section references various commercial recordings that allow the reader to hear how the applied expressive practices sound in terms of frequency and quality (timing, dynamics, lightness, heaviness, flexibility of rhythm and tempo).
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