“Transports of delight”? Reviews of Clarinet Performance in Paris and London, c. 1770 – c. 1810

Crisp, C. J. (2018) “Transports of delight”? Reviews of Clarinet Performance in Paris and London, c. 1770 – c. 1810. Performance Practice Review. ISSN 1044-1638

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Abstract

Reviews of clarinet performance in Paris and London, c. 1770 – c. 1810 make specific reference to 18th-century performance ideals, as identified by the contemporary writer Charles Burney who described the “principal excellencies of perfect execution”. The performance qualities described by Burney and their inclusion in contemporary reports is particularly valuable in assessing performances featuring the newest woodwind instrument, the clarinet. References to many of these performance qualities combine to form detailed accounts of the sonorities, technical execution and expressive qualities evident in performances given by clarinet players in Paris and London.

This article draws upon a wide selection of audience reviews of clarinet players in performance in these two centres, c.1770 – c.1810, offering revealing insights into audience perceptions of both the instrument and clarinet players. The examination of reviews of clarinet performance published in Paris and London highlight a number of specific performance themes. These are identified and discussed in this article, creating a detailed picture of 18th-century audience responses to the newest woodwind instrument and early exponents of the clarinet in each centre.

Publication Type: Articles
Uncontrolled Keywords: Clarinet Performance, Eighteenth-century Performance Practice, Eighteenth-century performance in Paris and London, Woodwind
Subjects: M Music and Books on Music > M Music
M Music and Books on Music > ML Literature of music
Divisions: Academic Areas > Conservatoire
Depositing User: Catherine Crisp
Date Deposited: 21 Feb 2019 10:28
Last Modified: 12 May 2023 14:25
URI: https://eprints.chi.ac.uk/id/eprint/4057

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