In this illustrated lecture, Professor John Butt and Dunedin Consort explore the concept of historically informed performance and its relevance in the modern musical landscape, in a practical and discursive format. Drawing on his seminal book Playing with History, Professor Butt considers issues including the relationship between notation and performance, examining the ways in which we ascribe ‘meaning’ to musical texts, and how these ideas are affected by composers adapting the same music for new occasions.
Professor Butt will explore answers to some of the fundamental questions surrounding the Western classical tradition. How does an understanding of historical performance practice help us get closer to the composer’s original intentions and find meaning in what we perform? And where do these ideas fit with the idea of the moveable work?
Programme
Music by Bach, Corelli, Handel and—in a glimpse into the future—Errollyn Wallen.
