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The Future of the Past - Early Music Today

The Future of the Past - Early Music Today: Mixing it up

Mixing it up

BBC Radio 3 - The Future of the Past - Early Music Today, Mixing it up

Nicholas Kenyon asks where the historical performance style revolution will take us next.

Nicholas Kenyon looks at new discoveries and recent trends in historical performance. Where can the revolution take us now?

Nicholas Kenyon asks where the historical performance style revolution will take us next.

Fifty years ago a revolution began in classical music. Back then, there was little doubt how to play a Mozart symphony or a Bach passion – it meant big symphonic forces, heavy textures, slow speeds and modern instruments. But then along came period performance: a new generation of musicians researched and revived period instruments, performance styles and forgotten composers. With lighter forces, faster speeds and new tools, they declared war on the interventionist musical culture of the mid-19th century. To start with, they were largely dismissed as eccentrics - Neville Marriner called them "the open-toed-sandals and brown-bread set” – and academics unable to play in tune. But throughout the 1970s and 80s they multiplied and gathered force. Along with the advent of the CD, their newfound repertory and fascinating new-old sound gave a boost to the classical recording industry. They overturned the way classical music was listened to and performed, making household names of musicians whose scholarly credentials became almost as important as their performing flair.

Nicholas Kenyon tells the story of that revolution, from the earliest pioneers to the global superstars of today. Across the series, he’ll uncover the musical detective-work which went on in universities and rehearsal rooms, reliving the incredible vitality of the times through landmark recordings which took the musical world by storm.

In the last episode in this series, Nicholas looks at new discoveries and recent trends in early music performance. Where do we go next?

J. S. Bach: Sinfonia - Cantata 29 
Wendy Carlos, Moog

Anon: Sanctus
Hilliard Ensemble
Jan Garbarek, saxophone

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - Spring 0-1, Recomposed By Max Richter
Daniel Hope, violin
Konzerthaus Kammerorchester Berlin
André de Ridder, conductor

Barbara Strozzi: E pazzo il mio core
Emanuela Galli, soprano
La Risonanza 
Fabio Bonizzoni, conductor

Schutz: Herr, nun lässest du deinen Diener in Friede fahen 
Vox Luminis
Lionel Meunier, conductor

Schubert: Impromptu D 935 no 4 in F minor
Andras Schiff, piano

Wagner: Lohengrin - Act 3 Prelude
London Classical Players
Sir Roger Norrington, conductor

Lanner: Jorgel-Polka
Concentus Musicus
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor

Debussy: Nocturnes - Fetes 
Les Siecles
Francois-Xavier Roth, conductor

Knussen: Two Organa - No 1
London Sinfonietta 
Oliver Knussen, conductor

J. S. Bach: Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54 (Transcr. by Víkingur Ólafsson)
Víkingur Ólafsson, piano

Produced in Cardiff by Amy Wheel

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Music: Classical

Nicholas Kenyon tells the story of the pioneers of the period instrument revival.

Nicholas Kenyon tells the story of the pioneers of the period instrument revival - classical music's greatest revolution.

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