A distinctive politics: Handel becomes historically informed in South Africa

Abstract

Acceptance of the legitimacy of a particular performance style for a given repertoire is determined in part by considerations that are, in a broad sense, political. This assertion is explored through an examination of the social purposes that have been served by the notion of historically informed performance (HIP) in the case of South African performances of Handel's choral music, especially Messiah. Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of aesthetic distinction and habitus provide the starting point for an analysis of the representation of HIP as good taste. The socially exclusive implications of this are pursued through a consideration of Caesar Ndlovu's critique of the establishment of HIP as a norm for adjudication in choral competitions.


South African Journal of Musicology Vol. 23 2003: 1-11