Baroque Quote by Barbara Owen
““Much of the music of the north European Baroque is familiar to organists, but it is often played and registered in a static and lackluster manner. This music is exuberant; the big pieces were meant to be exciting and even startling, and the small pieces offer endless opportunities for color. Perhaps part of our problem lies in the familiar brittle-sounding “neo-Baroque” instruments of the 1950s and 1960s that we tend to associate with this music, with their thin, top-heavy sound and unyielding wind supply. While it is true that the organs of northern Europe ostensibly provided the inspiration for this style, it is more of the letter than the spirit. They look all right on paper, but lack the substance to deliver musically. The instruments for which Buxtehude, Bruhns and Böhm wrote are red-blooded, warm, and colorful, with seeming faults–such as unequal temperament and wind systems of uncertain equilibrium–that turn to virtues when the right music is played on them.””
About This Quote
Source Musicology article, 2020s
Northern European Baroque organs are often played blandly; the style demands vivid, colorful sound, which modern “neo‑Baroque” instruments lack.
In simple terms: Baroque music needs lively, rich instruments.
Key Takeaway
Choose authentic instruments for Baroque.
Themes
musical authenticity
instrumentation
historical performance
sound color
Baroque
Mood
analytical
appreciative
Type
scholarly
critical
When to use this quote
- concert programming
- organ building
- educational workshops
Key Concepts
musicology
acoustics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can performers revive Baroque vitality?
- What compromises are acceptable for practicality?
A Different Perspective
Modern instruments may limit expression.
