Exposition

In Search of A Lost Language: Performing in Early-Recorded Style in Viola and String Quartet Repertoires (October 2019) (last edited: 2023)

Emlyn Stam
ACPA, Emlyn Stam
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About this exposition

Early recordings made between the 1880s and mid-1930s reveal a wide gap between the performance practices of a century ago and those of today. Though many contemporary musicians often claim fidelity to composers’ intentions, they clearly prefer to avoid the risks associated with playing in ways familiar to the very composers to whom they pledge fidelity. Given this state of affairs, I, Emlyn Stam, suggest a re-thinking of the concept of Werktreue, predicated upon the notion that 19th-century performers enacted their fidelity to works and composers by creating altered and highly personalized versions of the detail, structure and time of composers’ works. My own performances aim to enact this performer-centred Werktreue in order circumvent the frequently restrictive nature of modern performance practices while closing the gap between these practices and those heard on early recordings of viola solo, viola/piano and string quartet repertoires. The question my work engages with is: how might viola and string quartet playing in the performer-centered, moment-to-moment and communicative style heard on early recordings be brought about today? In order to achieve this aim, the study of relevant literatures on early-recorded style is combined with historical research and the detailed analysis and ‘all-in’ copying of early recordings.
typeresearch exposition
keywordsviola, string quartet, early recordings, lionel tertis, Werktreue, sound engineering
date13/12/2022
last modified02/02/2023
statusin progress
share statuspublic
copyrightEmlyn Stam
licenseCC BY-NC-ND
languageEnglish
urlhttps://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1862853/1862854
connected toAcademy of Creative and Performing Arts
external linkhttps://hdl.handle.net/1887/79999


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1864093 Recording 5.4.1 Mono Schubert Du bist die Ruh Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864102 Recording 5.4.1 Schubert Du bist die Ruh FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864107 Recording 5.4.1 Mono Schubert Du bist die Ruh Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864114 Recording 5.4.3 Gervasio Feuilles de printemps FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864121 Recording 5.4.1 Mono Schubert Du bist die Ruh Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864125 Recording 5.4.1 Schubert Du bist die Ruh FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864129 Recording 5.4.3 Mono Gervasio Feuilles de printemps Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864134 Recording 5.4.8 Bach Chaconne FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864139 Recording 5.4.8 Mono Bach Chaconne Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864144 Recording 5.4.a14 Enescu Konzertstuck FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864149 Recording 5.4.a14 Mono Enescu Konzertstuck Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864155 Recording 5.4.a20 Beethoven String Quartet Op127 - i FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864160 Recording 5.4.a20 Mono Beethoven String Quartet Op127 - i Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864163 Recording 5.4.3 Gervasio Feuilles de printemps FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864164 Recording 5.4.1 Schubert Du bist die Ruh FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864171 Recording 5.4.1 Mono Schubert Du bist die Ruh Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864179 Recording 5.4.1 Mono Schubert Du bist die Ruh Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864181 Recording 5.4.1 Schubert Du bist die Ruh FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864193 Recording 5.4.3 Gervasio Feuilles de printemps FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864455 Recording 5.4.8 Mono Bach Chaconne Emlyn Stam All rights reserved
1864456 Recording 5.4.8 Bach Chaconne FF Emlyn Stam All rights reserved

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