Routledge Essays on the Performance of Baroque Music

Explore the nuances of 17th and early 18th-century music with Mary Cyr's collection of scholarly essays. This volume examines the written and unwritten performance conventions that shaped French and English music during the Baroque era. By analyzing composers' original notations and marks added by 18th-century performers, the text provides a deep look into how music was actually executed during this period. Through the study of historical treatises and pictorial evidence, the research covers a wide range of vocal and instrumental genres. Readers will find detailed investigations into opera, cantatas, and instrumental chamber music. The work also focuses on solo music for the violin and the viol, offering insights into specific stylistic practices. This collection is a valuable resource for understanding both well-documented traditions and the lesser-known, controversial aspects of historical performance, such as the use of gesture by French opera choruses.