Per Dahl began his career as a flautist and studied at the University of Trondheim, Norway, where he focused on musicology, philosophy, and psychology. He has worked at the Music Conservatory in Stavanger, Norway, since 1979. Dr Dahl served as the rector of Stavanger University College from 2000 to 2003, during which time the university’s application for full university status was prepared and submitted. He earned his Dr.Philos. at the University of Stavanger, Norway, in 2006. He has been affiliated with the Norwegian Institute of Recorded Sound (1985–2023), wrote music criticism for Stavanger Aftenblad (1989–2001), and has delivered numerous pre-concert lectures. He has authored several books, book chapters, and articles, including Modes of Communication in Stravinsky’s Works (Routledge, 2022) and a chapter on “Music Criticism in Norway” in The Cambridge History of Music Criticism (Cambridge, 2019).

• 1. Introduction. 2. The Musical Communication Chain. 3. Notation. 4. Interpretation. 5. Communication. Postlude: On the Essence of a Musical Work.

“Just Play the Notes! Notation and Interpretation from a Performer’s Perspective is a thought-provoking book—a must-read for everyone interested in performance studies, musical analysis, the ontology and epistemology of music and the concept of the musical work. Dahl dives deep here. Highly recommended.”Prof. Ståle KleibergNorwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway