barokpraktijk

Barokpraktijk, in Dutch musicology, refers to the performance practice of Baroque music (roughly 1600–1750). The term describes the conventions and techniques performers use to render Baroque works in a manner considered faithful to the era’s aesthetics, sources and practices. It is closely related to historically informed performance (HIP) and is often contrasted with modern performance practices from later periods.

Key aspects include period instruments and tunings (for example gut strings, baroque bows, harpsichord or clavichord, and temperaments such as meantone or early well temperament), continuo realization, and the use of ornamentation and improvised embellishments guided by stylistic treatises and manuscript sources. Articulation, phrasing, tempo, and dynamics are typically shaped by the music’s dance forms (allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue) and by the rhetorical conventions of the time. Regions and composers exhibit variations in style, reflected in differences between French, Italian, and German practice.

Historically, interest in barokpraktijk grew with the early music revival of the 20th century, leading to performances on period instruments and to scholarly work on sources, treatises, and performance conventions. This movement has influenced pedagogy, concert programming, and recording practice, while allowing for informed modern interpretations and adaptation to contemporary concert contexts.

Today, barokpraktijk serves as a framework for researchers and performers seeking to understand and apply Baroque-era conventions. It informs scholarly analyses and practical rehearsal methods, guiding how a Baroque work might be realized while balancing historical fidelity with present-day performance realities.