Baroque Music Today: Music as Speech; Ways to a New Understanding of Music

by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Mary O'Neill (Translator), Reinhard G. Pauly (Editor)

"Like every art form, music is linked to a particular time; it is the living expression of its own period and can be completely understood only by its contemporaries. Our 'understanding' of old music allows us only a glimpse of the spirit in which it is rooted. We see that music always reflects the spiritual and intellectual climate of its time. Its content can never surpass the human power of expression, and any gain on one side must be compensated by a corresponding loss on the other."

In these essays, Nikolaus Harnoncourt summarizes his views arising from years devoted to the performance of early music. The problem of interpreting historical music is particularly critical in our age, when modern music has little appeal for the listening public. The vacuum left by the absence of a truly living contemporary music is therefore filled by older music. But for performers and audiences to understand music of earlier times, they must learn to comprehend the languages and messages of the past.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Lobstergirl]

A thoughtful and serious man, whose humor comes through in rehearsals sometimes (see Youtube) and in his bulging eyes (see the Neujahrskonzert 2003). Despite the title, Harnoncourt covers slightly more than Baroque music, e.g., Mozart. He probably does the best Schubert 4th (Tragic) I've heard, although I haven't heard every recording ever made.

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eReKP... ]

[Elisenda Fusté Forès]

Qué decir, este señor fue todo un crack.

[Sanna Gillerfors]

A book of collected speeches and lectures by Harnoncourt. He speaks about how music is understood today, how music where understood during Baroque times and the differences and contrasts between the two. He speaks about why he thinks we should change our approach to early music, in order to better understand and appreciate it and its purpose, among other subjects. Being based on vast amounts of experience and research, it has, at least for me, some mindblowing passages. On the downside, that the book contains such a vast variety of subjects makes it fragmented in its layout.

[Josep]

Tan increíble como necesario.

[Austin Hood]

A great guide to performance practice, if a little unfocused. I’ll be sure to draw on this as a resource!

[Elena (ThePurpleCarrot)]

4.5

[Marylee Lannan]

Interesting. I want to know more.

[Randy Rosso]

These are the ideas that revolutionized how music from Bach and before is performed today. Also Harnoncourt's recordings, as cellist and as conductor, are genius at work.

[Daniel Arango Garcia]

Un libro inspirador

[Marc Giné Pedrocchi]

Importantíssim si fas música amb perspectiva historicista!

[Érsek Máté]

Very good collection of highly observant essays on classical music.

[martin]

Es una maravilla leer y sentir la pasión que tenía Harnoncourt por la música. Realmente contagioso y apasionante a partes iguales.