Adaptive performance practice of instrumental chamber music in German cities at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries

This research proposal focuses on historically informed performance (HIP) and adaptive performance practices within the late 18th-century German musical context. Drawing from surviving sources and elaborating them through practice-based research, this study aims to explore how arranging music historically influences musical performance and what kind of insights it offers into the musical cultures of this era. The research objectives encompass uncovering the fluidity of performance practices in the 18th century, delving into the process of historically informed arrangement, and investigating the role of timbre in musical meaning during 1760–1810.

The research methodology involves case studies realized through ensemble projects, employing historical arrangement and autoethnographic analysis. These case studies encompass solo and duet transcriptions, partimento-based performances, exploration of timbre through chamber music, and early-19th-century variation sets. The study also delves into the philosophical aspects of 18th-century listening and aesthetics to bridge the historical and modern perspectives.