Interpreting style appropriately
Cornelius Frowein always starts from contemporary sources in his explanations of instrumental performance practice in the 18th century.
Historically informed performance practice has long been established in the concert hall; so much so that even amateur choirs often perform the popular baroque oratorios by Handel, Bach and other masters with orchestras that play on period instruments. However, what is standard for professionals with the appropriate training is still difficult to learn for amateurs, whether as practicing musicians or concertgoers.
The book published by Bärenreiter Performance practice compact by Cornelius Frowein, which, however, is limited to the instrumental music of the 18th century. For decades, Frowein has made a name for himself as a conductor of music from this century, especially by Mozart and his contemporaries, for which he has intensively studied the contemporary texts on the subject. He has now summarized this diverse knowledge in a handy, clearly structured volume. He has thus succeeded in providing beginners in the historical field - whether they are amateurs or modern orchestral musicians - with fundamental insights.
His book explains the central topics of "Affektenlehre-Tonarten-Rhetorik", "Tempo-Rhythmus-Agogik", "Dynamik-Akzentuierung", "Artikulation-Tongebung" and "Verzierungen-Manieren". The starting point for the discussion are sources from the period, which are consistently cited. The relevant authors include Quantz, Walther, Türk, C. P. E. Bach and Leopold Mozart - the bibliography in the appendix provides detailed information. It is to Frowein's credit that he explains the source texts, which are sometimes difficult to understand, in advance and then continues with his own comments. The result is a highly readable introduction.
The only annoying thing is that Frowein highlights many of his comments in bold type, which comes across as overly pedagogical. In addition, such aids to interpretation make it difficult for readers to form their own opinions and set their own priorities. In this way, Frowein's way of thinking is imposed too much and the ability to make one's own interpretation is diminished.
Cornelius Frowein: Performance practice compact. Interpreting 18th-century instrumental music in style, 196 p., € 24.95, Bärenreiter, Kassel 2018, ISBN 978-3-7618-2453-5
