Tempo and tactus in the German baroque : treatises, scores, and the performance of organ music /

"Before the advent of the metronome ca. 1800, there was little in the way of a standardized, commonly accessible method for precisely communicating how fast musical compositions should be performed. Instead of absolute time (e.g., plottable on a metronome), Baroque musicians developed notationa...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dokter, Julia
Published: University of Rochester Press,
Publisher Address: Rochester, NY :
Publication Dates: 2021.
Literature type: Book
Language: English
Series: Eastman studies in music, volume 178
Subjects:
Summary: "Before the advent of the metronome ca. 1800, there was little in the way of a standardized, commonly accessible method for precisely communicating how fast musical compositions should be performed. Instead of absolute time (e.g., plottable on a metronome), Baroque musicians developed notational cues for relative speed: this was accomplished primarily through combinations of time signatures and note values. Julia Dokter's Tempo and Tactus in the German Baroque helps decode these tempo cues for modern performers. Part 1 investigates metric theory in music treatises from roughly 1600 to 1790. Parts 2 and 3 explore the organ scores of pivotal composers such as J.S. Bach, Buxtehude, Weckman, and Bruhns, and present case studies demonstrating how Baroque tempo indications may interact in performance situations. Readers will discover how Baroque musicians modified the Renaissance mensural system to incorporate tempo shifts; how the various duple, triple, and compound meters interrelated; how the technical display of stylus phantasticus writing affected tempo; how tempo words (e.g. allegro) functioned; and how the choice of performing forces (e.g., chorus, solo keyboard, etc.) could affect the way tempo was notated. Dokter's book will become a basic resource for performers of Baroque music, not only for organ and keyboard solo repertoire, but also for other instruments and ensembles"--
Carrier Form: xxi, 523 pages : illustrations, music ; 24 cm.
Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (pages [477]-514) and index.
ISBN: 9781648250187
1648250181
Index Number: ML437
CLC: J613.7-095.16
Call Number: J613.7-095.16/D658