The Authenticity Wars in Historical Performance
A Glossary and Primer for the Professional Literature

About this book:

For decades, the pursuit of "authenticity" has been classical music’s most passionate battlefield—sparking brilliant scholarship, fierce polemics, and a complete transformation of how we hear the past. *The Authenticity Wars in Historical Performance* is the indispensable field guide to this contested territory. Spanning twenty-five razor-focused chapters, it maps the entire intellectual landscape: from the authority of the *Urtext* and the physics of historical temperament to the ethics of reconstruction, the politics of the "Authenticity Police," and the algorithmic pressures of the Digital Age. Whether you are deciphering a treatise on ornamentation, choosing a tuning system for a Baroque orchestra, or simply trying to understand why two recordings of the same Bach suite sound like different pieces, this book translates the jargon, clarifies the stakes, and introduces the key figures who defined the debate.

More than a dictionary, this primer narrates the evolution of the movement itself—tracing the shift from 19th-century "updating" (Mozart reorchestrating Handel) to the period-instrument revolution and the modern, nuanced synthesis of Historically Informed Performance. It ventures beyond the Western canon to explore authenticity in ethnomusicology, hip-hop, and global traditions, revealing how the concept shape-shifts across cultures. You will find the practical "how-to" alongside the philosophical "why": the mechanics of articulation and tempo rub shoulders with deep questions of performer agency, audience expectation, and the commercial packaging of the past.

Designed for the working musician, the curious scholar, and the engaged listener, *The Authenticity Wars* empowers you to move beyond dogma. It replaces ideological heat with conceptual light, offering a synthesized vocabulary that lets you articulate your own artistic choices with confidence. Stop talking past one another; start speaking the language of the field. This is the reference you will keep on your stand, cite in your program notes, and assign to your students—the definitive companion for bringing the music of the past honestly, intelligently, and vibrantly to life.