Composers' Intentions? Lost Traditions of Musical Performance

These selected essays by conductor Andrew Parrott (founder and director of the Taverner Consort, Choir and Players) reflect the thinking behind some four decades of his ground-breaking performances and recordings. Bringing together seminal writings on the performance expectations of, amongst others, Monteverdi, Purcell and J. S. Bach, this volume also includes the full version of a major new article calling into question the presumed historical place of the 'countertenor' voice. Focusing primarily on vocal and choral matters, the time span is broad (some five centuries) and the essays multifarious (from extensive scholarly articles to radio broadcasts). Authoritative, provocative and readable, Parrott's writing is packed with information of value to scholars, performers, students and curious listeners alike.


CONTENIDO:

List of Illustrations
Preface

- Introduction
1 Composers' Intentions, Performers' Responsibilities

- Vocal Scoring
2 A Brief Anatomy of Choirs
3 Falsetto Beliefs: The 'countertenor' cross-examined
4 Falsetto and the French: 'une toute autre marche'

- Monteverdi
5 Transposition in Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610: An 'aberration' defended
6 Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 Revisited
7 Monteverdi: Onwards and downwards
8 High Clefs and down-to-earth Transposition: A brief defence of Monteverdi

- Purcell
9 Performing Purcell

- J. S. Bach
10 How many singers?
11 Vocal Ripienists and J. S. Bach's Mass in B minor
12 Bach's Chorus: The Leipzig line

- Missing Music
13 J. S. Bach's Trauer-Music for Prince Leopold: Clarification and reconstruction

- Miscellaneous
14 Performing Machaut's Mass on record - Review
15 'Grett and solompne singing': Instruments in English church music before the Civil War
16 Monteverdi's L'Orfeo - performance notes
17 Purcell's Dido & Aeneas on record - Radio Review
18 'Hail! bright Cecilia' (Purcell at 350) - Radio Essay

Selected Recordings
Further Writings
Index