Concerts of Antient Music

The Concerts of Antient Music, active in London from 1776 to 1848, were a precursor to the modern revival of older music. Their stated policy was to perform music at least 20 years old, though they sometimes updated compositions with added parts. This initiative predated Felix Mendelssohn's 1829 performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, which is often cited as the conventional start of historicism in music. The Concerts of Antient Music reflected an early interest in preserving and performing music from earlier eras, contributing to a broader trend of rediscovering and valuing historical compositions. This movement laid groundwork for later developments in musicological study and performance practice.1