@GP - I was musing on my love of baroque music and the observation that I am particularly drawn to baroque recordings performed on period instruments and have come to loathe baroque music played on modern instruments, although there are a very, very few exceptions to that.
Generally speaking, I like to think that I am pretty open-minded in my music tastes, but I must admit to myself that in the case of baroque, I am so opposed to hearing it drenched in vibrato and played on modern instruments that I find it totally intolerable - even to the point it can drive me nearly insane if I have to endure it for very long.
Anyway, thinking about this, I happened to note that the vast majority of baroque that you are beginning to listen to are performed on period instruments. Are you finding that period vs. modern doesn't matter to you, or do you think you are developing a preference for one over the other? Guess it doesn't really matter - I was just curious.
(And hopefully, I won't start a fight with anybody by asking because I know there are people in both period and modern camps that are very vehement about their preference!)
You are right in terms of what I am gravitating to. I am not sure I yet have a principled stance - if there were a recording on modern instruments that was super-well played I am not sure I would be against listening to it on principle.
But from what I have learned so far it seems as if a lot of the modern instrument recordings are older and most of the new cutting edge ones are period instruments. The other axis is that I generally prefer the "Italian" performances of Vivaldi to the "English" ones (which does not keep me from still liking the Pinnock Four Seasons) - I like the flair and fire and élan more than the versions that give me mental images of bored people in wigs and corsets sitting in drawing rooms genteelly nodding their heads and stroking their chins.
Some of the recent Italian recordings have really opened my ears to how Vivaldi can be utterly exhilarating, can make me smile in surprise instead of making me feel respectable. When I compare the samples of the first three tracks here, say, with something like the Concerto Italiano version it sounds like the older version is being played while immersed in treacle.
Again from what I understand so far another axis that complicates this further is the size of the ensemble - it seems that older modern instrument recordings are more likely to be full orchestra and newer period instrument recordings are more likely to be one instrument to a part. I like the latter better because it lets me hear all the textures and what each contributes rather than just getting a sweet mush. And one thing that holds together my listening in ambient music, jazz, minimalist choral music, baroque is that I am very often much more drawn to texture, tone, timbre than to structure.
So, yes, you are right about my preference, but it's not really a purist period versus modern, it's preference for the sound of newer + period instruments + small ensemble + southern European sensibilities that has made me feel as if I am discovering Vivaldi for the first time (which I must admit outside of the four seasons and a few other concertos is true anyway. Since this is my latest learning curve and I tend to jump into learning curves in new genres with both feet I am already up to having 137 of his works. I did make a spreadsheet :-)).
@kez, thinking about this more today I am curious in turn - do you find that your preference for period instruments extends across all instruments? Or is it string ensembles?
I see some reviewers on Amazon who think Bach's keyboard work should only ever be listened to on harpsichord. I like some solo harpsichord every now and then, but it tries my patience after a while; I prefer piano over the long haul. (Caveat: who knows what I will prefer a year from now) But while Dinnerstein's very Romantic Bach helped get me started, I care for it less now, and really like Schiff's more 'faithful' rendering (e.g. No use of the pedal).
And then last night and this morning I was listening to Yo Yo Ma's 'Inspired by Bach' version of the cello suites. Reading reviews I learned (1) that a lot of people wonder why he has his cello tuned half a step low, but it's because that is how it was tuned in Bach's day, so the cello sound is more historically accurate; and (2) that his playing on the other hand is for some people too modern or romantic or taking liberties. With the cello suites I do not have a reference version in my head to compare with (maybe if I get into a more historical version it will change my ear the way it has changed with the Bach piano) but I did enjoy the Ma.
So with the Bach keyboard works I am liking a recording with a modern instrument sound but played in an older style. The Ma is just the other way around, an older sound and a modern style if I am understanding correctly. And then there are wind instruments - I am not sure yet what I think about older wind instruments....
@GP, just read your newest comments, which brought to mind additional enthusiastic replies I want to make (besides what I wanted to say in reply to your previous post) - but deadlines and other commitments have kept me from taking the time to properly gather my thoughts and type it all up.
Just wanted you to know that I value your insightful observations here and am just itching to add to the conversation as soon as I get a chance. So, to be continued soon...
Going to post this here for future reference. I almost bought a single CD release by this group and then discovered that this 11-disc set of their collected recordings was not so very much more money - it can be had for $23.76 in the Amazon marketplace (less than the cost of the MP3s). I really can't justify it this month having bought 21 baroque CDs and 9 more on MP3 in the last couple of weeks (I was given a nice gift certificate and focused on box sets!) but I'll be back....
I have listened to this one a couple of times now, it's included in the Bach and Sons box set mentioned a few posts up thread and available at bargain price from 7digital US. Have not listened to the other discs yet (partly because I am stuck on replaying this one), but this one is really arresting, marvelously played. Highly recommended.
A footnote re the Bach cello suites. Having said above that I enjoyed the Yo Yo Ma (second) recording, I just got this one for a great price on emusic and think it puts the Ma in the shade. It's quite different. I am no expert at all on these pieces and really only have experience of three performances to compare but the timbre and the interpretation sound perfect to me on this version.
Comments
I see some reviewers on Amazon who think Bach's keyboard work should only ever be listened to on harpsichord. I like some solo harpsichord every now and then, but it tries my patience after a while; I prefer piano over the long haul. (Caveat: who knows what I will prefer a year from now) But while Dinnerstein's very Romantic Bach helped get me started, I care for it less now, and really like Schiff's more 'faithful' rendering (e.g. No use of the pedal).
And then last night and this morning I was listening to Yo Yo Ma's 'Inspired by Bach' version of the cello suites. Reading reviews I learned (1) that a lot of people wonder why he has his cello tuned half a step low, but it's because that is how it was tuned in Bach's day, so the cello sound is more historically accurate; and (2) that his playing on the other hand is for some people too modern or romantic or taking liberties. With the cello suites I do not have a reference version in my head to compare with (maybe if I get into a more historical version it will change my ear the way it has changed with the Bach piano) but I did enjoy the Ma.
So with the Bach keyboard works I am liking a recording with a modern instrument sound but played in an older style. The Ma is just the other way around, an older sound and a modern style if I am understanding correctly. And then there are wind instruments - I am not sure yet what I think about older wind instruments....