florida state university college of music performance practice

twentieth centuries, their value is largely discounted by many scholars 10 because of the
low fidelity present on these recordings. 11
A rationale of using recordings to document performance
The scholarly examination of sonic recordings is an emerging and contemporary
analytical exercise in musicology that has become increasingly viable with improved
technology in recording. This dissertation is based upon similar studies such as Philip
1992; Fabian 2003; Golomb 2004, in which recordings were analyzed to discover how
perceptions of contemporary Bach reception and ideology are captured in the
actualization of performance manifested through sound recordings. 12
This case study explores commercial recordings available in the past quarter-of-a-
century of the St. John Passion to determine if there are trends that have developed in
regards to performance. Represented are both edited recordings and those recordings that
are marketed as “live”. Authors like Gracyk 1997; Davies 2001; and Auslander 2005
have discussed the social impact of a decreasing audience in live performances and an
increase of digital consumer listeners – those who buy recordings for access to musical
works. While that topic is worthy for discussion it is outside the parameters of this study.
Instead, this study accepts de facto, based on scholarly writing and discourse, prevalence
and acceptance in society, that recordings are merited as performances. 13
Fabian and Golomb discuss potential problems relying on recordings as evidence of
performance intention. The issue lies with whom to credit the performance intention. In
the case of edited recordings, it can be hard to ascertain how much influence an editor has
had on the final product. 14 Bernard Sherman in his book, Inside Early Music:
Conversations with Performers, chronicles in an interview with Malcolm Bilson how
Bilson‟s intentional contrametric rubato playing in a Mozart concerto was left out of the
10 A counter argument is made by Teri Noel Towe that early recordings, though rare, are valuable in
exposing erroneous beliefs regarding performance practice of Bach in the nineteenth century. See Teri Noel
Towe, “Present Day Misconceptions about Bach Performance Practice in the Nineteenth Century,”
(accessed June 5, 2007) http://www.npj.com/homepage/teritowe/jsbpdm00.html.
11 Bowen, “Performance Practice versus Performance Analysis,” 17.
12 Uri Golomb, “Expression and Meaning in Bach Performance and Reception: An Examination of the B
minor Mass on Record,” (PhD diss., Cambridge University, 2004), 1.
13 For further research into this issue read (Auslander 2005; Gracyk 1997).
14 Golomb, “Expression and Meaning in Bach Performance and Reception,” 15.
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