HF0119l Interpretation of Early Music I

Faculty of Music
Summer 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/4. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. Barbara Maria Willi, Ph.D., MBA (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. Barbara Maria Willi, Ph.D., MBA
Organ and Early Music Department – Dean’s Office – Faculty of Music – Janáček Academy of Performing Arts
Supplier department: Organ and Early Music Department – Dean’s Office – Faculty of Music – Janáček Academy of Performing Arts
Prerequisites
Successfully completed winter semester of Interpretation of Early Music I.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The subject supports the creativity and personality of the student and prepares them for independent work in highly competitive environments. Studying the subject prepares the student for the variability and flexibility of the labour market. The student has the opportunity to connect the theory of the historically informed performance practise beyond their skills on a classical or historical instrument. The future graduate of the subject should acquire the knowledge, ability and skills so as to incorporate them into their concert activity. The aim of this course is to prepare the student for authentic interpretation in solo and ensemble playing, as well as in specialized orchestras. For students to correctly interpret the early music, it is necessary that they be familiarized with the relevant issues: tempo, instrumental setting, articulation, phrasing, tuning, ornamentation, etc. All these questions need to be supported by the corresponding literature.
Learning outcomes
Introducing the key principles of working with historic resources.
Orientation into secondary resources including those sourced from abroad.
Active ability to process historical texts and related material.
A solid grounding in: music history, the history of the literature concerning instruments, aesthetics, an introduction to foreign literature, the development of artistic trends.
Syllabus
  • The study of the performance practices of early music concerns: the study of notation and the close reading of textual criticism, so as to eliminate later errors and amendments (critical editions of original versions), illustrations of instruments, musicians and musical performances, literary descriptions of musical performances, theoretical evidence concerning, for example: the teaching of composition and instrumentation, practical instructions for performing, such as those found in first editions official documents about musicians and lists of performers old performance practices which are still in use to this day.
  • Examples of discussed topics: Principle sources – treatises on performing: The writings of J. J. Quantz, C. P. E. Bach and L. Mozart are considered to be the primary sources of information about the period aesthetics of the performance. These treatises contain theoretical information about playing specific instruments. There are certain instruction manuals about good performance practice, tempos, ornamentation, communication between musicians, etc.
  • These days, as a result of equal temperament, we have lost the earlier awareness of the intense relationships of keys and intervals. In the 18th cent. this was simply a matter of course.
  • etc.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • Bruce Haynes: A history of performing pitch;. info
  • Couperin, François: L´Art de toucher le clavecin. Breitkopf und Härtel 1933. info
  • Dolmetsch, A.: The Interpretation of the Music of the XVIIth and XVIIIth Centuries, London 1915. info
  • Donington, Robert: The interpretation of Early Music. Faber & Faber, London 1989. info
  • Grove, Riemann, MGG a další světové slovníky a encyklopedie. info
  • Hotteterre: Principes de la flute; Methodes et Traité de basson. info
  • Neumann, Frederick: Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-Baroque Music. With special emphasis on J. S. Bach. University Press, Princeton 1980. info
  • Rosen, Ch. : The Classical style - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. New York 1998. info
  • Vybrané hudebně-teoretické traktáty (S. Ganassi, G. Caccini, J. Mattheson, L. Mozart, J. J. Quantz, C. Ph. E. Bach, D. G. Türk u. a.). info
  • BURNEY, Charles. The present state of music in France and Italy: or, The journal of a tour through those countries, undertaken to collect materials for a general history of music. T. Becket, 1773
  • BUKOFZER, Manfred. Music in the Baroque Era. W. W. Norton & Company: 1947
Teaching methods
The teacher evaluates students on the basis of their knowledge, contributions, progress, individual preparation, abilities, etc. The teacher monitors the theoretical knowledge of the students as well as well as the extent of their orientation in the given subject.
Assessment methods
Students are evaluated according to their knowledge, abilities, presentations, progress, individual preparation. The teacher evaluates the activity of students, how much they have learnt and their ability to shape this into an oral presentation. The teacher monitors the gains in theoretical knowledge of the students as well as their ability to deal with specific issues. Oral or written exam.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught: every week.
Note related to how often the course is taught: Wednesday, 13:30, dean's office.
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2021, Summer 2022, Summer 2023, Summer 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.jamu.cz/course/hf/summer2025/HF0119l