Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt was an Austrian conductor, known for his historically informed performances. He specialized in music of the Baroque period, but later extended his repertoire to include Classical and early Romantic works. Among his best known recordings are those of Bach, whose 193 cantatas he recorded with Gustav Leonhardt.
Harnoncourt in 1980
Historically informed performance
Historically informed performance is an approach to the performance of classical music, which aims to be faithful to the approach, manner and style of the musical era in which a work was originally conceived.
Performance on period instruments is a key aspect of HIP, such as this baroque orchestra (Photo: Josetxu Obregón and the Spanish ensemble La Ritirata, 2013).
Historical collections of preserved instruments help researchers (St Cecilia's Hall, Edinburgh)
A Viola da gamba by Thomas Cole (c. 1680)
Countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, accompanied by Christina Pluhar in 2011 (theorbo)