A few thoughts about a Historically Informed Performance.
In a world where the so called "early" music occupies more and more space in the media, concert halls and schools, and is the object of much research, it is necessary that in Brazil -as in Europe and the United States - we have historically informed performance.
We consider early music all the music composed in periods before ours. The music composed in our times is called "contemporary music". In fact, 90% of the classical music played nowadays was not composed in our times, consequently we call it "early music".
We understand as "historically informed" the interpretation based on the most recent musicological research where the player knows the author's life and works as well as his style. The player must also be aware of such factors as the aesthetic standards of the different epochs and the musical forms, fingerings used, the instruments that were to be played on in such works. Social and psychological issues are to be considered when one studies a composer's works. Also his or her musical studies and education are to be taken into consideration as well as the philosophical foundations of the time in which he or she lived.
Under the heading "early music" we notice there is a preference for the music composed in the 17th and 18th centuries. This can be verified by the concerts given nowadays as well as the number of recordings issued. This great majority of works from the baroque and classical periods represent the staple product sold by the recording companies. Since there is so much interest in the music of those periods, we should play it using a historically musicological approach, that is, having in mind the tools and techniques used by the composers of those times. We should also know their social, personal and technical limitations, the limitations of their instruments as well as the philosophical lines and tendencies of that era. It is only in this way that we can get near the composers' intentions. Being aware of their intentions we can say we are playing in a more authentic way. Once we have such knowledge, we can go beyond the limitations imposed and enjoy a more personal interpretation. If this is not done, it is not even worth considering an alternative...
Another factor that shows the need of such knowledge is the following : until recent decades, the music composed after the generations of Vivaldi, Telemann, Rameau, Handel, Bach and Domenico Scarlatti was considered a continuous and lively oral/written tradition in concert halls, opera theaters, conservatoires as well as in homes. The music of the classical period was considered as the beginning of the "standard repertoire". The performance of such music did not require any further research or knowledge other than that offered in ordinary music schools. Thus, the music of Gluck, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert was not considered as music for which any special skill was necessary, unlike the one from earlier periods where specialized players and researchers were required. Obviously, no cornamuse or viol in "tromba marina" was necessary nor were enigmatic notations used such as tablatures or unmeasured preludes.
Such complacency was encouraged by a powerful oral tradition. For example, many pianists of the 20th century can say that they had lessons with one of Czerny's pupils who, in his or her turn, had studied under the guidance of Beethoven. We know of singers who studied under the guidance of some bel canto representatives and this line can lead up to Mozart and Caccini!
However, after so much rendering has transformed (and often deteriorated !) these masterpieces in such a way that they have become unrecognizable ! The classical music for the piano, for example, is often known and played today on an instrument (the modern piano) that has a surprisingly strong and weak tone, unlike the instruments that existed in the time such music was composed. To this, wrong phrasing and articulation is normally added and this is foreign to the style of this music.
In order to correct this state of affairs and so that no ignorance prevails among contemporary interpreters, we propose to make the "historically informed performance" known in Brazil. Our objective is to present a whole musicological knowledge associated to musical interpretation. With this we can improve the musical knowledge of the students and professionals who have the opportunity to work under such principles. In this way, Brazilians can be included in the avant-garde of the correct interpretation, the one that follows the composers' intentions.
