Page 111 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2018. Nova glasba v “novi” Evropi med obema svetovnima vojnama ?? New Music in the “New” Europe Between the Two World Wars. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 2
P. 111
work and performance ...
inextact because of reaction of the measuring person. (Studio tape record-
ers brought possibility of more precise measurement using the lengths of
the tape at a constant speed with a resolution of up to 20ms. However, ob-
taining detailed and repeated measurements is a very challenging task even
in this case.)
The claim that from the begining of the 20th century the development
of musical genres is also shaped by the relationship to sound recording,
gramophone records or radio broadcasts will certainly not sound surpris-
ing. The abrupt development of mass media especially radio and sound film
influenced the production of composers and gave future direction to mod-
ern performance tradition. Critical discussion on the topic of technical in-
novations and their incursion into musical practice has been happening in
musicology for several years which influenced the choice of subject matter
of variety of works and also a production focus (radio broadcasts and music
for radio, changes in tempi and dynamics, analysis of interpretative perfor-
mance etc.) Also the effort to add the possibility of a sound recording anal-
ysis (interpretative performance) to the methods of musical theory belongs
to current trends in forreign and domestic musicology.
III.
My approach to this task, however, is not purely technical. Interpretation re-
search is an overarching term for a variety of approaches and methods. We can
for example examine deviations from the established ideal, such as the trans-
formation of the tempo or dynamics, within a single work. We can also de-
scribe the historical background on which these changes take place.
The first analysis of performance and recommendations on perfor-
mance practice come from Heinrich Schenker (1868–1935). He is the author
of an extensive study Die Kunst des Vortrags. Even though he was work-
ing on it since 1911 it was never finished and was only maintained through
handwritten notes. It was released in 2002 under the name The Art of
Performance by Heribert Esser.
Subsequent interpretative style then significantly transformed. The
conservative tradition that Schenker represents was replaced by the emerg-
ing performing practice. The situation after 1918 is characteristic in this re-
spect. A category of artists who specialized on contemporary music ap-
pears. Such type was in many ways unique. Its novelty became evident in
the choice of repertoire (most of these compositions were heard only once).
The style of their interpretative execution was restrained and deprived of
109
inextact because of reaction of the measuring person. (Studio tape record-
ers brought possibility of more precise measurement using the lengths of
the tape at a constant speed with a resolution of up to 20ms. However, ob-
taining detailed and repeated measurements is a very challenging task even
in this case.)
The claim that from the begining of the 20th century the development
of musical genres is also shaped by the relationship to sound recording,
gramophone records or radio broadcasts will certainly not sound surpris-
ing. The abrupt development of mass media especially radio and sound film
influenced the production of composers and gave future direction to mod-
ern performance tradition. Critical discussion on the topic of technical in-
novations and their incursion into musical practice has been happening in
musicology for several years which influenced the choice of subject matter
of variety of works and also a production focus (radio broadcasts and music
for radio, changes in tempi and dynamics, analysis of interpretative perfor-
mance etc.) Also the effort to add the possibility of a sound recording anal-
ysis (interpretative performance) to the methods of musical theory belongs
to current trends in forreign and domestic musicology.
III.
My approach to this task, however, is not purely technical. Interpretation re-
search is an overarching term for a variety of approaches and methods. We can
for example examine deviations from the established ideal, such as the trans-
formation of the tempo or dynamics, within a single work. We can also de-
scribe the historical background on which these changes take place.
The first analysis of performance and recommendations on perfor-
mance practice come from Heinrich Schenker (1868–1935). He is the author
of an extensive study Die Kunst des Vortrags. Even though he was work-
ing on it since 1911 it was never finished and was only maintained through
handwritten notes. It was released in 2002 under the name The Art of
Performance by Heribert Esser.
Subsequent interpretative style then significantly transformed. The
conservative tradition that Schenker represents was replaced by the emerg-
ing performing practice. The situation after 1918 is characteristic in this re-
spect. A category of artists who specialized on contemporary music ap-
pears. Such type was in many ways unique. Its novelty became evident in
the choice of repertoire (most of these compositions were heard only once).
The style of their interpretative execution was restrained and deprived of
109
