Performing musical works authentically: A response to dodd

Abstract

A kind of musical authenticity Julian Dodd thinks has been neglected, interpretive authenticity, as he calls it, is intended to provide both an insightful and faithful understanding of the work. This kind of authenticity is distinguished from score compliance authenticity (a view I have defended) on grounds that an authentic musical interpretation can sometimes deliberately depart from the score. I argue that none of the four examples Dodd offers in favour of this hypothesis is uncontroversial. I have less faith than Dodd in the ability of wholesale departures from the composer's work specification to demonstrate performance insight or to be seen as unproblematically instancing all aspects of the work. © 2013 British Society of Aesthetics.