Performance Morphology And Musical Meaning

The center of gravity of this dissertation lies in the interpretation of Authentic Performance issues, the construction and the analysis of Performance Morphology, and from music performance angle of view, releases some thoughts on the methods of Music Hermeneutics. This dissertation therefore elaborates two major tasks: One is to clarify the development vein of Authentic Performance and the focal points which initiates the dispute in the second half of 20th century; Two, the Performance Morphology construction, which will be foundation of the performance analysis.Being core concept of Early Music Revival Movement, Authentic Performance develops maturely from the 60s of 20th century, and in the help of phonograph record industry, was pushed up the Western music world stage, regarding the brand-new thought pattern in performing early music, in the same time, practiced the huge impact on the idea of traditional performances inherited from 19th century. Being reflection on performing tradition, Authentic Performance initiated numerous dispute in the western musicology field in theory concept (philosophy, aesthetics and history), performance practice as well as social influence, therefore clarify development vein of Authentic Performance and the focal points which initiates the dispute, form the essential basis regarding Performance Morphology construction and the analysis.The goal of proposed Performance Morphology lies in reveals the single-dimensional thought of traditional performance, furthermore, provides another way of thinking of music. The trigger point of construction lies in the difference between the result of Authentic Performance and Mainstream Performance playing the same music, this kind of difference by no means interpretational difference, but is totally different in the entire performance pattern in music work concept, sound taste, performance practice and the way of express music, this kind of different is guiding the Performance Morphology construction. This dissertation have made description and discussion from four aspects: the relations between work and the performance, composer's intention, performance practices and the way of express music, thinks foundations of Performance Morphology construction. On Performance Morphology analysis, this dissertation take J. S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos (BWV 1046-1051) as an example, selects four each representative sound recording, summarized and compares with rational analysis and sensibility listening in the different instrument timbre, the tempo, the accent, the dynamic, the phrasing, the articulation, the grace note, the vibrato and the overall mood.Through the analysis process and the result summarized by Performance Morphology, this dissertation attempts to releases some thoughts on the methods of Music Hermeneutics, which deviation technique analysis and musicological analysis. In the custom of sound experience tradition which brings in Mainstream Performance, Authentic Performance expanded enormously the sensibility experience of performer and listener, caused the work to clearly reveal multi-dimensional and a rich significance, this dissertation therefore thought music meaning had the very major part outside the work, besides the significances set into the work by the composer, these significances if had resembles does not have, lives as necessary, extinguishes as necessary, fuzzy and no explanation, only could ask in the sensibility experience, the language description also hard to shape. Therefore, this dissertation is inspired the conception becoming proposed by French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, thought music meaning is in kind of dynamic process, arise in performing and listening. Listening based on Performance Morphology launch from here as a method of Music Hermeneutics.