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A Performer's Guide to Baroque Music
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November 20, 2022
Why I read this book: In the process of transcribing a Baroque score I realized I needed a crash course in understanding Baroque musical notation.
Format: Hardcover; borrowed from the Rochester Central Library.
Synopsis: A Performer’s Guide to Baroque Music was less of a book for reading and more like encyclopedic entries followed by lists of relevant quotes and bullet points regarding various aspects of playing and performing Baroque music. Most of the Baroque musical expressions explained were also written out in musical notation.
What I Thought: The general content of the book is excellent. The musical notation was very helpful - I was able to follow exactly what was being explained. Reading straight through, all the quotes and the list format gave it a dry, dull tone. The portions written by the author, Robert Donington, made it clear that he was writing for professional performers. His attitude towards ‘amateur enthusiasts’ and ‘unproficient performers’ was downright arrogant and made me feel that I (and most of the mandolin orchestra I play with) should be relegated to living room performances for family and friends. Some of his discussions left me confused such as a preference for ‘using fine instruments of authentic character in fine condition’ over modern instruments. After expressing that preference, the section ends stating that it is not a moral issue to prefer or not prefer early instruments, rather the only issue is artistic compatibility. This was one of several sections where Mr. Donington would list arguments, quotes, or rules for doing something one way, then end the section with nearly the opposite statement or leaving up to the performer’s interpretation.
The Bottom Line: Aside from the author’s biased tone, and the confusing contradictory bits, I did like A Performer’s Guide to Performing Baroque Music. Robert Donington is widely recognized as an expert in early music, and I regularly see his books recommended in the research I do online. If I continue playing and transcribing a lot of Baroque music, I might consider buying a copy to use as a dictionary or encylopedia type of reference.
NB For anyone looking for an alternative to A Performer’s Guide to Performing Baroque Music, I am still reading Baroque Music: A Practical Guide for the Performer. It has much of the same information so far, and the writing style is far more appealing to me. The author, Victor Rangel-Ribeiro has actually referenced and recommended Mr. Donington’s book(s) a few times. For now I think Baroque Music will be sufficient for what I am trying to accomplish with my musical transcriptions, and I would recommend it over Mr. Donington’s book.
Format: Hardcover; borrowed from the Rochester Central Library.
Synopsis: A Performer’s Guide to Baroque Music was less of a book for reading and more like encyclopedic entries followed by lists of relevant quotes and bullet points regarding various aspects of playing and performing Baroque music. Most of the Baroque musical expressions explained were also written out in musical notation.
What I Thought: The general content of the book is excellent. The musical notation was very helpful - I was able to follow exactly what was being explained. Reading straight through, all the quotes and the list format gave it a dry, dull tone. The portions written by the author, Robert Donington, made it clear that he was writing for professional performers. His attitude towards ‘amateur enthusiasts’ and ‘unproficient performers’ was downright arrogant and made me feel that I (and most of the mandolin orchestra I play with) should be relegated to living room performances for family and friends. Some of his discussions left me confused such as a preference for ‘using fine instruments of authentic character in fine condition’ over modern instruments. After expressing that preference, the section ends stating that it is not a moral issue to prefer or not prefer early instruments, rather the only issue is artistic compatibility. This was one of several sections where Mr. Donington would list arguments, quotes, or rules for doing something one way, then end the section with nearly the opposite statement or leaving up to the performer’s interpretation.
The Bottom Line: Aside from the author’s biased tone, and the confusing contradictory bits, I did like A Performer’s Guide to Performing Baroque Music. Robert Donington is widely recognized as an expert in early music, and I regularly see his books recommended in the research I do online. If I continue playing and transcribing a lot of Baroque music, I might consider buying a copy to use as a dictionary or encylopedia type of reference.
NB For anyone looking for an alternative to A Performer’s Guide to Performing Baroque Music, I am still reading Baroque Music: A Practical Guide for the Performer. It has much of the same information so far, and the writing style is far more appealing to me. The author, Victor Rangel-Ribeiro has actually referenced and recommended Mr. Donington’s book(s) a few times. For now I think Baroque Music will be sufficient for what I am trying to accomplish with my musical transcriptions, and I would recommend it over Mr. Donington’s book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review