Known as a key figure in the early music of the recovery movement according to historical performance practice, but also for his immense passion for various arts and tireless willingness to risk new ways, the Austrian conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt died this Saturday in Vienna, after 86 years.
throughout the twentieth century, there were several personalities who brought new music of the past approaches, but will not be an exaggeration to say that without the legacy of Harnoncourt the history of interpretation music would not have been the same. Their relevance is however beyond that specific current, which was one of the leading pioneers in the 1950s, along with Gustav Leonhardt, given the breadth of his repertoire, which has been expanding increasingly recent times and contemplated whether groups with old instruments, or the most important modern orchestras.
the opening and depth of thought of Harnoncourt’s cultural and musical point of view and its striking interpretations sometimes revolutionary compared to current codes, brought another way to understand the past and present music, based not only on aspects that the historical sources, the ancient instruments and treaties might illuminate, but also a shrewd understanding of the Sounds Speech, to use the title of the most famous of his books.
The more intellectual dimension, evident in several books and essays on interpretation, composers, works and styles that published Harnoncourt associated enormous charisma, which can be seen not only in its artistic performances, but also in the form like working with younger musicians.
Several videos available on the Internet, such as a masterclass in Salzburg with the Simón Bolívar youth Orchestra reveal his touching and raptured passion for music, an eloquent géstica and a prodigious imagination in fancy textual metaphors, sometimes humorous, which used to transmit the musical results that intended to get.
But contrary to what may seem, Harnoncourt did not like skilled musicians, because he considered that they had “less open mind” as said in several interviews. It was also one of the first to warn of the danger of using the concept of “authenticity” in music, which would generate a lot of misconceptions and transformed sometimes into a weapon by the detractors of the early music movement. “The museum of music does not interest me and I have no intention to conduct guided tours of Bach’s work.” He aspired not to recreate the old sound authentic, but carry the past into the present.
last December, Harnoncourt announced he would end his career due to health problems. “It’s an era comes to an end,” said Sunday ANGYAN Thomas, director of the Musikverein, one of the most prestigious musical institutions in Vienna. “I did not think spend so little time between the time of retirement and his death. [...] He was the original of its original. We must continue the musical legacy that leaves us, “said ANGYAN, cited by Le Monde .
The beauty above the safety
Born in Berlin on December 6, 1929, Harnoncourt grew up in Graz, Austria. Son of a great-granddaughter of Emperor Leopold II, had the name of baptism Johannes Nikolaus Graf de la Fontaine und d’Harnoncourt-Unvertzagt. Paul cello student Grümmer and Emanuel Brabec, was for several years (1952-69) musician Symphony Vienna, but had difficulty accepting the impositions of orchestra directors, especially when they knew not explain the reason of his musical decisions.
Although it has become one of the most important conductors of our time, Harnoncourt always refused the cult of orchestra director of the figure, as if it were a superhero. Also questioned the interpretative approaches that were the works of Händel sound as if Brahms. This will have been one of the reasons that led him to an interest in the old music, try the instruments of time and investigate the historical performance practices, a process which led to the creation in 1953 of the Concentus Musicus of Vienna, in collaboration with his wife, violinist Alice Hoffelner.
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