Early music today

Edited by Richard Lorber, Alte Musik heute [Early Music Today] traces the development of approaches to early music, from its confidential beginnings to its integration into contemporary musical life. The book offers a clear and well-documented overview of the various directions of historically informed performance, focusing both on the concrete forms this work can take and on the links between musicological research and artistic practice. It also highlights the social dimensions of this movement which, since the 1970s and 1980s, has become a true cultural and political phenomenon, now carried forward by a generation of independent ensembles seeking new spaces for expression. 

The volume brings together contributions from specialists who analyse the dynamic evolution of this ever-changing field: the rediscovery of baroque opera, the return of improvisation, ventures into the 19th-century repertoire, the reconstruction of oral traditions, and crossovers with other genres. These chapters are complemented by fourteen fascinating interviews with leading figures on the early music scene—from Philippe Herreweghe to Chouchane Siranossian—whose careers and reflections illustrate the diversity and vitality of the movement.

Excerpts: (not translated)

Zeitgeist and Period Style

What is meant today by “historically informed performance”? How do the artists and actors of the musical scene perceive it? […] It is striking to observe that distinctions between interpretive styles across sectors of contemporary musical life have lost some of their significance. “Modern” orchestras and soloists now perform in a “historical” manner, guided by early music specialists, while specialised ensembles seek to build bridges with other genres […] They are fully integrated into the musical landscape and have their own stars. […] 

The early music scene has indeed evolved—first in quantitative terms. Kai Hinrich Müller speaks of a “dynamic of innovation and diversification of the offer,” as shown by data from the German Music Information Centre, which reveal the continued growth of this field since the 1980s. In May 2023, the list of “early music ensembles” contained 234 entries. In Belgium, the Guide to Early Music in Belgium lists 68 active ensembles. In France, early music has long held an important place in musical life, often supported by public funding. And in other European countries, the numbers are rising as well: in May 2023, the European early music network (rema-eemn.net) brought together 134 organisations from 23 countries working on the European market. 

A Leveled-Out Early Music?

This growth since the 1980s is a phenomenon in itself. But it also raises concerns. Ton Koopman fears that the younger generation relies too heavily on the achievements of the pioneers without striving to go beyond them […]. Andrea Marcon still warns today that assembling the “right ingredients” of historical performance does not guarantee a successful final result: one must know how to break free from the rules […]. 

But another observation must also be made: many ensembles today are broadening their artistic palette and dramaturgical ambitions well beyond what historical performance initially allowed. And it is they who now set the tone. […] 

Zeitgeist – Period Style: Singularities and Affective Goods (Reckwitz) 

Early music has always been influenced by prevailing intellectual currents, from Dolmetsch to Landowska. In the 1960s, it absorbed an anti-authoritarian and enlightened spirit in the wake of the 1968 movement. It became part of counterculture, for example by promoting collective and democratic structures that, in the public’s eyes, stood in opposition to the hierarchical model of the symphonic concert focused on the conductor. This interaction also influenced repertoire choices and sound aesthetics: initially driven by an interest in forgotten works, the approach soon ran up against audience expectations centred on the “great repertoire.” The same goes for the timbre of early instruments, perceived as a sometimes unsettling otherness. […] 

It is striking to see how much internal musical decisions can be linked to broader social dynamics. What about the relationship today between period style and spirit of the times? Here are some features of the contemporary style: 

• On the musical level: virtuosity, sound exploration, heightened expressiveness through articulation, phrasing and tempo; diversity and freedom in ensemble make-up, always grounded in the standards of historical performance. 

• On the extra-musical level: repertoire exploration, crossover projects, regional anchoring, performative innovation, ethical or political positioning. 

These tendencies correspond to what sociologist Andreas Reckwitz described in 2017 as a “society of singularities” […]: artists must constantly stand out and occupy niche spaces. In early music, this is especially true: in Germany in particular, they have little access to a stable, secure job market—this is the dilemma of the freelance condition. […] 

What counts for success in this “creative economy” is what Reckwitz calls performance: the personality and originality of the artists. He also observes a phenomenon of celebrity cult, with a handful of stars surrounded by a multitude of precarious players—the “winner-takes-all” model. This phenomenon also affects early music, although it is less pronounced than in opera or among conductors, due to the more egalitarian functioning of many ensembles. 

This quest for originality, extravagance and distinction was not central until the late 1990s. While the norms of historical performance remain a reference, they are no longer decisive. But this evolution is not confined to one isolated domain: it reflects a broader trend in the artistic world. […] 

Yet applying Reckwitz’s criteria to today’s early music scene remains partly unsatisfying. Certainly, the creative momentum of the past twenty years belongs to a broader flow, but it remains remarkable in itself. It is a value in its own right, even if it has become necessary to survive in the new market. And one only has to look back to realise it: diversity, professionalism, flexibility—and thus artistic freedom—have progressed tremendously since the early days of the movement. It is an undeniable enrichment.