The master’s thesis examines Historically Informed Performance (HIP) and its influence on contemporary musical interpretation. The aim of the research is to present the development of the HIP movement, its philosophical and theoretical foundations, and its impact on the understanding and performance of music from the Baroque period to the present day. The thesis is based on the analysis of musicological literature, historical sources, and theoretical discussions by important authors such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, John Butt, Bruce Haynes, and Richard Taruskin.
The first part of the thesis presents the historical development of the HIP movement, from the early attempts to revive early music in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to the formation of a systematic movement after the Second World War. Particular attention is devoted to the role of pioneers such as Gustav Leonhardt, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and John Eliot Gardiner, who significantly contributed to the renewed use of historical instruments, the study of historical sources, and the development of new interpretative approaches.
The second part discusses the philosophical and theoretical foundations of HIP. It analyses the concepts of the musical canon, rhetoric, tradition, authenticity, and the relationship between HIP and modernism. The thesis demonstrates that historically informed performance does not represent a simple attempt to reconstruct the past, but rather the development of historical awareness and a critical attitude toward established performance traditions. Special emphasis is placed on the question of authenticity, which contemporary theorists understand as a creative and reflective interpretation rather than an objectively »correct« historical reconstruction.
The final part analyses the influence of HIP on contemporary musical interpretation. It addresses issues of notation, tempo, rhythm, articulation, vibrato, and improvisation, as well as the importance of understanding the historical and cultural context in musical performance. The findings show that HIP has significantly changed the performance of early music and has also influenced the interpretation of Classical, Romantic, and even contemporary repertoire. Today, historically informed performance represents an integral part of modern musical life and an important factor in shaping a pluralistic, research-oriented, and reflective approach to musical interpretation.
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