17 Conducting 19th Century Music on Period Instruments
Ach, ich fühl’s – Unaware that her beloved Tamino has to observe a vow of silence, Pamina is desperate that suddenly he does not talk to her. Renee Fleming in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, with Sir Charles Mackerras conducting the Orchestra of St Lukes. On that occasion the orchestra was playing for Sir Charles on instruments of our time – but, he was very much asking them to play in a style that he believed corresponded with how Mozart would have expected orchestras to play in his time. He is one of the few conductors who has conducted performances of older music in the style of the time both on modern instruments and on period instruments: instruments that are similar to the ones in use during the composer’s lifetime.
INTERVIEW 2-13: CHARLES MACKERRAS
MUSIC 10: BRAHMS 4
This recording of Brahms’ Fourth Symphony was made by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra playing on period instruments for Sir Charles Mackerras. The balance engineer was Tony Faulkner.
INTERVIEW 2-14: TONY FAULKNER
MUSIC 10: CONTD
