Historical string techniques

[William]

A couple questions (which might be answered in the Grove encyclopedia but I don't have one on me):

Is the current use of normal vibrato a comparatively recent development? i.e. romantic or classical era? I get the impression that in the baroque and renaissance it was normal to play senza vibrato.

Similarly, with legato. I noticed on a recording I heard of period instruments the strings played with practically no sliding between notes. And it was on a piece that could easily have had slurs. It sounded as if they were deliberately making more of a continual detache without single bow legato. Was this also a characteristic playing style that would be imitated on an authentic period style recording?

[mathis]

Hi William,

I was just looking through older posts and stumbled across this. i don´t know if it is still of interest, but I think I can answer some things.

The contemporary vibrato is a classic/romantic development. The bow pressure increased dramatically in that time, they needed it for guys like tschaikovsky etc. with FFFF dynamics. For that purpose the whole bow technique changed.

This increase of volume was paid with decrease of possible coulours. The preclassical music is all about articulation, every tone was shaped like a syllable. No legato-brushing.

I´m very open for corrections. I study at a conservatory (Den Haag) which is world-famous for its early-music department, but I don´t make enough use of it, which is of course a pity. [:(] I even started once to learn Viola da Gamba which is a marvelous instrument, but didn´t make it very far.

Bests,
- M

[William]

This is what I was thinking and had heard vaguely once. It is clear that many modern recordings are using the characteristic baroque techniques of minimal vibrato and no obvious legato. You ought to use that Conservatory resource, Mathis! You're lucky to have access to that. Thanks for responding.