The repertoire for solo violin composed since the mid 20th century has grown to be extensive, encompassing all major compositional innovations occurring during this period.
Despite the significance and relative popularity of this repertoire, its performance practice has not been properly investigated beyond the mere aspect of extended techniques. Setting this repertoire apart from comparable ones is the position of Irvine Arditti as a protagonist in the promotion, dissemination, and establishing of a performance tradition of these compositions, as well as in the working relations with all relevant composers.
The aim of this investigation is therefore twofold: the documentation and reconstruction of the historical performance practice of representative post-1950s compositions for the solo violin, and the deepening of our understanding of the role of the performer in the establishing of new repertoire and its performance practice.
