Andrys Bastyn:

>So, the EARS thing with respect to different centuries just doesn't mean
>much when the curious thing is that so many of us living in this century
>are more comfortable with and are more drawn to the sound of the earlier
>instruments in music of their time.  I'm more interested in why that is.

I can think of several possible reasons.  One, which might be much favoured
by some of us, is that the composer knew what he was doing rather better
than later performers who used different instruments and performance
conventions.

Another is that our ears / minds are intrigued by and drawn towards new and
fresh-sounding ways of performing a familiar type of music.  This approach
does not require any presumptions about "right" and "wrong", as it is based
only on the novelty-seeking nature of our perceptual systems.  It would of
course predict that as the HIP style becomes more familiar it will also
become less attractive, and that in due course there will be a return to
the now unfashionable methods, or perhaps a new movement in some as yet
unknown direction.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Ian Crisp
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