florida state university college of music performance practice

concerning authenticity, believed claims of authenticity were fraudulent and absurd, “Ich
tue das nicht, und ich habe das auch noch nie gemacht (I don‟t do this and I have never
done this). 123 Further evidence of Harnoncourt‟s position on authenticity comes from his
own opinion in his monumental and historical endeavor to record all of Bach‟s cantatas.
In the sleeve notes of the first volume, he states publicly:
We do not in the least regard this new interpretation as a return to something that
has long passed, but as an attempt at releasing this great old music from its
historical amalgamation with the classical – symphonic sound and, by means of
the transparent and characteristic selection of old instruments, at finding a truly
modern interpretation. 124
Likewise in the following statement: “I would never use the word authenticity for my
work…it can only be authentic me not authentic Bach, Biber, Handel or Telemann.” 125
Despite these clear arguments from influential scholars and performers against the
pursuit of authenticity, early music‟s acceptance into the mainstream and popular press
mitigated their effect and message. Instead, the media, press and commercial recording
companies realized the potential for marketing recordings as „authentic,‟ prompting
buyers to replace older recordings in hopes to obtain the best interpretation that reflected
the composer‟s original wishes (Werktreue). The overwhelmingly successful commercial
use of the label authenticity became divorced from its negative connotations, thus for a
time practically silencing its critics, and providing beneficial rewards for recording
companies in sales and catapulting performers and conductors into notoriety and fame.
Fabian believes that the attack on authenticity in the late 1980s, led namely by
Richard Taruskin, Laurence Dreyfus and others, was misdirected. Instead of attacking the
scholarly community, blame should have been attributed to commercial propaganda
fueled by the music industry that touted “authentic recordings” in reviews, interviews,
and liner notes. While certainly the recording industry was instrumental in circulating
claims of authentic performances through media propaganda outlets, it comes down to
the paradox of what came first – the chicken or the egg? Meaning, it is difficult to
ascertain if consumers were influenced by the recording industry or if the industry was
responding to a perceived niche or need in society. Perhaps instead of laying negative
123 Fabian, “The Meaning of Authenticity and the Early Music Movement,” 155.
124 Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Das Kantatenwerk, J.S. Bach, vol. 1 Teldec, SKW 1/1-2, 1971, 8.
125 Nicholas Anderson, “Never too early,” BBC Music Magazine, (March 1994): 48.
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