“The Quodlibet” – AEC’s online and open forum for dialogue on all matters of Early Music
Zoom Link for the three Quodlibet sessions 2023
Save the dates of the next AEC’s online discussions on Historically Informed Performance Practice and Early Music
- Thursday 23rd March from 18:00 to 19:30 CET
- Thursday 27th April from 18:00 to 19:30 CET
- Thursday 25th May 2023 from 18:00 to 19:30 CET.
The sessions will take place on Zoom, they will be recorded and published on the AEC’s Youtube channel.
Quodlibet 1 – March 23, 2023, 18:00-19:30
Historically Informed Performance versus Grammophonically Informed Performance
Guest: Daniel Leech-Wilkinson
Introduction/moderator: Anton Steck
In the past few years we have had access to a sheer endless number of interpretations and performances available on different internet platforms. For a listener this is an incredible opportunity to compare and select and make an own choice according to personal preferences. For a performer on the other hand this raises some questions and problems. If we, for instance, compare Schubert String Quartet recordings of both ensembles, Rudolf Kolisch’s and Adolf Busch’s quartets (both in the 1930s), we can hear two completely different interpretations. They simply did not know the interpretations from each other and were free to do it their own way! The same effect you can find a little bit later in the early baroque recordings of the 1950s and 60s from pioneers like the Alarius Ensemble (J. Rubinlicht). How did they find their interpretation without listening to recordings?
Some other questions for our Quodlibet could be:
-What would come out if we completely avoid listening to a piece and study it the “old fashioned” way: First learn the score without playing – then play?
-Can students find their own creativity if they go the easy way and get for instance ornaments from a recording instead of learning it step-by-step?
-Getting many clicks for a “fancy” interpretation can evoke a tension between commercial pressures and historical evidence in period-instrument performances.
-Can recordings be seen as “sources”?
We are looking very much forward to a wonderful discussion!
Although some topics and guests have been already considered, we are open to your ideas about possible discussion topics and guests! Do not hesitate to mail us at events@aec-music.eu with your suggestions!
As we are also aiming at linking our online sessions to events – such as conferences, symposia, fora, etc. – related to early music and historically inforrmed performance, please let us know if you are organizing anything which could be linked to our Quodlibet: we will be eager to analyse your proposal and establish synergies which could benefit us all!
What is The Quodlibet?
TheQuodlibet is the AEC’s online and open forum for dialogue on all matters of Early Music and HIP. All members of the Early Music community – students, teachers, administrators and artists – are welcome to participate, and are encouraged to share their views on the chances and challenges experienced in our field today. Everyone’s voice shall be heard!
The first edition of the Quodlibet was launched in 2020/21, during the pandemic with 3 meetings with Peter Van Heyghen, Barthold Kuijken and Paul Agnew.
The second edition was launched in Autumn 2022 with a session about the current state of Early Music Departments in Europe a second one about Music as Storytelling and a third one entitled Early Music Pedagogy: Teaching and Learning Today with the Tools of the Past. Have you missed these sessions? All recordings are available online on the AEC website!
AEC’s Early Music Platform Task Force
- Isaac Alonso de Molina – Chair (The Hague)
- Kelly Landerkin (Basel)
- Anton Steck (Trossingen)
- Claire Michon (Poitiers)
- Sara Primiterra – Coordinator (AEC office)
We kindly ask you to spread the news among all colleagues and students in your institution interested in the topic.
We are looking forward to receive your ideas and proposals and to e-meeting you on Thursday 23rd March for the first Quodlibet of 2023!
Video Recordings
Have you missed the three Quodlibets 2022? Watch the recordings of the fora hosted by the AEC Early Music Task force on the current status of Early Music departments in Europe. on Storytelling! See you in March for the Quodlibet serie 2023!
