Very Short Introductions

As an Early Music America member I recently received a welcome suprise in the mail - a compimentary copy of "A Very Short Introduction to Early Music," by Thomas Forest Kelly. A quick read at 122 pages, the book is part of an eclectic series of introductions published by Oxford Press on topics as diverse as Druids, Global Catastrophes, the Marquis de Sade, and Renaissance Art. There is even a "Very Short Introduction to the Meaning of Life." (I have to admit I almost ordered that one.)

I have enjoyed this little book on Early Music and recommend it to Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado followers and anyone seeking a background on what the historical performance movement is all about. The author introduces the topic clearly in a very limited space, while never oversimplifying the subject matter or talking down to his readers. He covers the "what" of early music, and just enough of the "who" and "how" to get people started. There is an excellent and straightforward explanation of performance practices such as tuning and temperament, period instruments, and facsimiles.

But it's the treatment of the "why" that delighted me. Kelly probes the reasons for the modern phenomena of early music as both a scholar and enthusiast, and sets the tone from the beginning when he says, "For me and for many readers, the music is beautiful and intriguing; it expands our horizons and nourishes our souls." He is able to capture so much of what excites performers and listeners, from rediscovering lost traditions to the thrill of improvising.

Kelly draws revealing parallels between Early Music and World Music (it provides listeners with "something outside their own culture, their own tradition, their own experience"), New Music ("the possibility of hearing a great deal of music one has never heard before") and Jazz ("improvisatory, real-time experience that is generally lacking in concert music"). He also does a great job of challenging unfortunate misperceptions about "authenticity."

For me, this little book reminded me of the many reasons I have pursued the path of being a Baroque performance specialist, and renewed my feeling that it's a path of ongoing discovery, shared with colleagues and audiences.