Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: reception, performance, recordings

This thesis focuses on three principal areas: the reception of Chopin's music in Great Britain, both during his lifetime and following his death; early sound recordings of Chopin's music, particularly those from the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries; and differing approaches to the performance of Chopin's music, including those by the composer himself, and interpretations by some of his contemporaries, students and 'grandstudents'. These three areas are presented in four chapters, which complement one another by exploring links between cultural, social and historical contexts of Chopin's music in Great Britain in the period from 1830 to 1930. The thesis addresses some of the varied features that contribute to an understanding of historically-informed performance practice, and ultimately demonstrates how these features - which allow for greater comprehension of nineteenth-century pianistic styles and techniques - have enriched the author's own interpretations. The written thesis is accompanied by the author's own performance of several of Chopin's works informed by late nineteenth-century expressive techniques.