Studying at York
Playing With The Past - MUS00166H
- Department: Music
- Module co-ordinator: Dr. Mark Hutchinson
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: H
- Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
- See module specification for other years: 2021-22
Module summary
Playing With The Past is a hands-on exploration of key concepts, sources and research techniques used by today’s Historically Informed Performers in the study and performance of music from c. 1700-1900.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2023-24 |
Module aims
In this project, you will explore key source types and research techniques in Historically Informed Performance (HIP) by applying them to your own repertoire. You will get hands-on with some of the most important historical sources used by performers and musicologists to study the performance practices and styles of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as early sound recordings, written treatises, and historical editions. We will investigate techniques of source study and editing in order to decide how much authority to give to musical scores, and discuss the changing role of the performer as co-creator of the music they play. We will also use practical workshops to explore the central role of embodied research in HIP – how practical experimentation and sensory and aural feedback from our own playing and singing help us to interpret evidence and expand our own creative horizons.
This practical exploration will be contextualised by a broader understanding of key concepts in HIP. Set reading and listening tasks will form the basis for discussions of questions such as:
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How much can we ever know about how music sounded in the past?
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Where is the space for individual creativity or cultural relevance when re-creating past performance practices?
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Does HIP just reflect our modern tastes?
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Is there such a thing as a continuous tradition of performance?
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Can there a ‘wrong’ way to play any piece of music?
The project will be taught through practical workshops, seminar and discussion groups, and tutorials.
Module learning outcomes
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Detailed knowledge of the main methodologies and sources of evidence that can be used to historically-inform a performance, such as notated manuscript sources, treatises, historical editions, cultural approaches and early recordings;
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Knowledge and understanding of the major theoretical debates surrounding the practice of historical performance as applied musicological and embodied research
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Ability to identify and evaluate a range of appropriate primary and secondary source materials in order to place a musical performance activity or work in its historical context
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Ability to assimilate and critically interpret sources to construct a coherent argument that shows an understanding of the theory and practice of historical performance
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Ability to present a reasoned and convincing argument in words or music, supported by appropriate sources, demonstrating accurate spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation, and (in performance) a level of technical competence appropriate to the chosen repertoire
Assessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework Essay |
N/A | 100 | Default |
| Essay/coursework Research Report |
N/A | 25 | B |
| Practical Performance |
N/A | 75 | B |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
Students may also, by negotiation, present a shorter essay or performance in combination with a critical edition of their chosen repertoire. [weighting depends on length and complexity of edition]
Reassessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework Essay |
N/A | 100 | Default |
| Essay/coursework Research Report |
N/A | 25 | B |
| Practical Performance |
N/A | 75 | B |
Module feedback
Feedback report within 20 working days of submission
Indicative reading
tbc