Introduction

This chapter concentrates on performances in which a musician or group of musicians ‘self-consciously enacts music for an audience’, in which a pre-existing work is ‘realised’. Its particular focus is on the teaching of solo instrumental performance of Western art music. The timespan is from the late eighteenth century onwards, the geographical boundaries those of Western Europe, the emphasis on the teaching of those aspiring to professional standards, rather than of amateurs or beginners. Although instrumentalists are frequently advised to learn from singers, the teaching of singing itself is not addressed in this chapter, given the scope of the subject and the numerous strands particular to the history of voice teaching. Instead, the examples cited relate mainly to the piano and violin literature. Because of the popularity of these instruments and the emphasis placed on the mastery of solo repertoire and its presentation in concert, it is through them that the trends in instrumental performance teaching since the late eighteenth century can be seen most clearly. Since the phrase ‘teaching performance’ is used here with the implication that performance involves a consideration of the relationship between performer and audience, these are trends in the interpretation and communication of music in performance, rather than in instrumental technique.