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From: gregg@azure.UUCP (Greg Gadeholt)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Temperment spinoff - modern instrument quality
Message-ID: <2604@azure.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 8-Mar-84 15:55:56 EST
Article-I.D.: azure.2604
Posted: Thu Mar  8 15:55:56 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 21-Mar-84 08:40:23 EST
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 28

Ken Perlow made a couple of statements that could muddle a discussion of
original instruments vs. modern instruments.  (His article was a followup
to an article regarding temperment, but the article seemed to be going off
to a new topic.)

Ken said that he didn't care for the sound of Mozart on modern instruments,
especially after hearing music performed on original (non-modern) instruments.
That's fine; I have no quarrels with this opinion.  In fact, I haven't even
reached a personal conclusion about the merits of using original instruments.
However, he sited as an example the "piercing screech" and "wide vibrato" of
modern violins.

At best, a piercing screech is caused by crummy strings or a crummy violin.
At worst, the screech is caused by a crummy violinist.  The problem is not
something inherent in modern violins.

A wide vibrato in an inappropriate place is totally the fault of the violinist.
The violinist either lacks musicianship or doesn't have the technical skill 
necessary to have a diverse vibrato "repertory".

A good musician can make Mozart sound good on either an original or modern
instrument.  A hack will sound at best "OK" on either.   A performance's
quality is far more dependent on the musician than on the instrument.

Greg Gadeholt
Tektronix MDP
..!tektronix!tekmdp!gregg