Abstract
This lecture-recital focuses upon a range of late nineteenth-century pianistic expressive techniques, including various types of rubato, rhythmic alterations, non-synchrony between the melodic line and the bass, unnotated arpeggiation, and textual alterations, with particular reference to Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturnes. Due to their popularity, Chopin’s Nocturnes have a recording history dating back to the 1890s. As such, there are numerous recordings which can testify changes in performance styles in the intervening time. Importantly, this is not only relevant to piano playing; recordings of Chopin’s Nocturnes were also produced by singers, violinists, flutists, and cellists. In this lecture-recital, I shall present a range of recordings of Chopin’s Nocturnes made by violinists Jules Conus, Pablo de Sarasate, Bronisłav Huberman, Arnold Rosé, Kathleen Parlow and Wiliam Primrose; cellist Pau casals and Victor Sorlin; singers Claudia Muzio and Louisa M. Nicholson; and pianists Vladimir de Pachmann, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Leopold Godowski, Sergei Rachmaninov, Josef Hofmann, and Raoul Koczalski. The lecture-recital is divided into three parts: Pаrt 1 considers how various text-based sources serve to illuminate aspects of late nineteenth century pianism in context of Chopin’s Nocturnes. Part 2 considers various recordings of Chopin’s Nocturnes, made between 1890 and 1930. Analysis of these recordings was a part of the Leverhulme-funded research project “(Re)constructing Early Recordings: a guide for historically informed performance”. The three-year research project was based on the reconstruction and simulation of the mechanical recording process to capture performances using wax cylinder and digital technologies, and investigation of the value of reconstructions of passed recording techniques, in terms of preserving forms of performance practice. A broad range of expressive pianistic techniques are then showcased in Part 3, through a performance which clarifies and contextualizes central points of this lecture-recital.