BY PAUL BALLAM-CROSS, RUNNER-UP IN THE 2016 YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
Fashions change in classical music, as in everything.
In the Renaissance, the lute was the most prevalent instrument. But trends shifted rapidly in the Baroque era and after as the harpsichord became the instrument of choice. While there was a small cadre of players who doggedly stuck to its instruments, outmoded or not, many others simply modified their instruments to suit changing tastes and styles. For example, a fashionable gentleman of the 16th Century might decide that his lute just has to have an extra string, or a 19th Century violinist might be bold and add a chin-rest.
In the early the 20th Century, players began to investigate these older instruments, as well as the playing styles associated with them. It took enormous amounts of research to discover much of the information that is common knowledge today, though there were a number of missteps along the way – pioneering harpsichordist Wanda Landowska played an instrument far more similar to a grand piano than a genuine harpsichord!
So, here’s a general introduction to the wide world of early music and HIP (Historically Informed Performance).
- There are a lot of elements to consider.
This can encompass the construction of the instrument, playing technique, as well as how the notes are played. One of the leading lights of the initial steps towards an early music movement was Arnold Dolmetsch, who played just about every instrument he could get his hands on in his research.
- There are rare instruments aplenty
Sometimes, this includes instruments we don’t hear today, too, like the ophicleide in Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. While this is sometimes substituted for other low brass instruments in modern performances, such as the tuba, the ophicleide has a wonderful sound of its own.
- Period instruments can make a world of difference to how a piece sounds, too.
Although it might sound like stating the obvious, performances can sound enormously different depending on what instrument they’re performed on and the style in which they’re performed. For example, Bach’s music has been performed consistently since its revival in the 1830s (spearheaded by the equally excellent composer Felix Mendelssohn!), and we’ve found that his music works whatever the instrument it’s played on. Here’s Trevor Pinnock’s super-HIP performance of the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, BWV 903 on harpsichord.
In contrast, Glenn Gould’s performance of the same work on piano is very different!
- Early music and HIP aren’t limited to smaller ensembles and solo players
Orchestras have taken note of the rediscovery of older playing styles as well. This can mean that the conductor follows the original metronomic markings of the composer literally, without tweaking the tempo to fit personal preferences. Occasionally, this can result in performances that sound different to how we’re used to hearing them.
- Though for some players, returning to the “old-fashioned” way isn’t particularly practical.
These unusual instruments are expensive and difficult to find, and then require specialist study to bring out their best qualities. Some of these instruments are not exactly the sorts of things that can be tracked down easily.
- Yeah, but how can I be HIP?
HIP is an acronym for Historically Informed Performance. Simply put, HIP means taking what we’ve learned about accurate period performance, and then applying those ideals to modern instruments. Sometimes, you even wind up with combinations of the old and the new, and the results can be electrifying – cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras here performs on an older cello with modern playing technique and modern additions to the instrument itself.
- It ain’t easy…
Some of the unusual instruments you might see at a HIP concert are enormously difficult to play – possibly one of the reasons these instruments are so much rarer than their modern versions! For example, the natural trumpet (the grandfather of today’s instrument) doesn’t have any valves, so it’s up to the player’s mouth to shift the pitch.
- Mixing it up is a good thing
Occasionally, ensembles split the differences, and include some ancient instruments mixed in with the newer ones.
- But what about the future?
Of course, drastic shifts of performance styles are still occurring today, though without the impact they once had. The classical guitarist Paul Galbraith performs in a unique manner that is unlikely to be picked up by most players, but is nonetheless effective. Playing an eight-string guitar supported by a cello endpin resting on a resonance-enhancing box, his performances are undoubtedly exceptional.
HIP can range from players merely keeping the composers’ original intentions in mind to small modifications to an instrument or learning what is, essentially, a new way of playing. Encouragingly enough, though, all of these methods of performance return to one thing: the sound of the music itself.
This feature is part of CutCommon Young Writers’ Month. About the author:
Queensland composer Paul Ballam-Cross is a runner-up in the inaugural CutCommon Young Writer of the Year Competition. He has a Bachelor of Music in Performance from Griffith University, a Master of Information Studies from the University of Canberra, and is studying a Master of Philosophy in Musicology at the University of Queensland. He regularly reviews for Limelight Magazine, is a presenter at 4MBS Classic FM, and is a tutor and lecturer at various institutions.
Featured image Dennis Jarvis via Flickr CC2.0.
