Dr. Emil Bernhardt: Emphatic Articulation: ‘Klangrede’ as a performative concept in Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s orchestral interpretation

This study deals with the performance practice of the Austrian conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929-2016). The approach is aesthetic and philosophical rather than biographical and historical. The aim of the study is to discuss and develop concepts (partly from Harnoncourt’s own texts, partly from a broader theoretical vocabulary) that can reveal and visualise central aspects of Harnoncourt’s specific interpretation and performance practice. In addition, it is intended to contribute to a more general conceptual development in current research on musical interpretation, particularly with regard to orchestral music.

A basic assumption of the study is that Harnoncourt’s performance practice has its roots in what has been labelled historically informed/orientated performance practice (HIP). The study argues that the historical orientation that characterises this movement adds a discursive element to the practice of musical interpretation. By ‘discursive element’ I mean, on the one hand, the engagement with historical knowledge and information (usually articulated in academic terms) and, on the other, the reflection on how this information can influence actual musical performance. The fundamental investigation of the study focuses on the relationship between historical awareness and musical success, between conceptual orientation and practical interpretation, and between theoretical discourse and aesthetic experience.