# Dikmans on Historical Performance > [!box] My aim is to **foster curiosity**, encourage **self-driven exploration** and **deepen understanding** of how music was brought to life in its original contexts. Part of a [[Dikmans – Historical Performance Knowledge Base|curated knowledge base]] devoted to historical performance practice. --- ![[Frederick-the-Great-Concert.jpg]] <small>Adolph von Menzel: <i>Flötenkonzert Friedrichs des Großen in Sanssouci</i> (c.1850)</small> ## Why Study Historical Performance? As performers, we often grapple with the challenge of **breathing life into old music** in a way that resonates with our audiences while remaining faithful to the past. Historical performance embraces the wealth of information available to us, while acknowledging that no single historical truth applies to all times, places, styles, genres or composers. > [!box] Approaching this work as artistic research, we aim for practical outcomes: **beautifully crafted and compelling performances**. --- ## Guiding Philosophy 👉 [[Guiding Philosophy for HEP|Guiding Philosophy]] – Read this first **Music is a living art**: it’s dynamic, evolving and continuously influenced by the culture, society, and individual experiences of those who create and listen to it. Those of us interested in historical performance believe that 17th- and 18th-century music comes alive when scholarship and imagination work together. The following principles outline our guiding philosophy. - **Foundations** - Curiosity over Dogma - Rhetoric at the Core - Beyond Information to Understanding - **Practice** - Art and Craft United - Re‑creation, not Restoration - **Community** - Collaboration and Dialogue - [[Guiding Philosophy for HEP|Guiding Philosophy for Historically Enlightened Performance]] --- ## Explore > [!box] Use the **main navigation** and the **search box** to explore. What you will find: - **Students** – explanations of important concepts and practices with resources to guide further study. - **Teachers** – teaching materials including commentaries on and translations of important source materials. - **Performers** – nuanced discussions of ornamentation, articulation and interpretation, as well as inspiring recordings. ### Read > [!box] Start your search for explanations and understanding. - [[§ Rhetoric]] - I cannot overstate the importance of rhetoric in the historical performance of 17th- and 18th-century music. - [[§ Programme Notes]] - Aimed at the general reader. A **good starting point**. - [[§ Primary Sources]] - Passages with commentary from 18th-century treatises. - [[§ Composer Biographies]] - Insights into what it was like to be an 18th-century musician. - [[§ Glossary]] - Terms and concepts. ### Listen > [!box] Live performances and excerpts from my CDs. - [[§ Recordings]] (with scores) - You can download the scores to study or just follow along when you listen. ### Student Study Resources > [!box] For students of the traverso (18th-century flute) – but most resources can be used by anyone learning a period instrument. - [[§ Traverso Study Resources]] - Lots of practical resources: - Daily warm ups and tuning practice - Music with audio demonstration – lay along with bass lines --- > [!box] Outline of my [[Dikmans – Historical Performance Knowledge Base|Historical Performance Knowledge Base]]. --- <small>© Greg Dikmans</small>