Historiskt informerade framföranden:

några kritiska reflektioner kring en övergiven diskussion

Abstract

There is a widespread consensus among musicologists that the debate over historically informed performances has long since lost its actuality. The received wisdom seems to be that such performances are best described as expressions of present day, or more specifically modernist, aesthetic ideals. Another influential line of thought holds that the spurious search for historical authenticity is irreconcilable with the performing musicians personal authenticity, a view that in turn is closely related to a common scepticism against any form of combination or mix-up between musical performance and musicological research. Beliefs like these have been largely responsible for the general decrease in interest over the nature and purpose of historically informed performances during the last decade. The present article considers some of the more well-known arguments behind such beliefs and argues that they, contrary to what many scholars seem to think, are far from conclusive. Although there is no attempt to put forward any final solutions to these issues some tentative conclusions Historiskt informerade framföranden are nevertheless suggested. Thus, the central concern of the article is a plea for a reopening of a discussion that was abandoned too early on too feeble grounds.