Ian Crisp, writing of possible reasons why many people of today prefer HIP
performances:

>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.

Ouch!  That's a lot of ammunition for Dave.  I wish my good friend Ian had
not made the above comments, particularly that last sentence.  The comments
sound very similar to those made by Don Vroon in ARG; Vroon believes that
the HIP movement is a fad which will go away.  But there might be a ray of
hope here.  Vroon welcomes the extinction of HIP peformances.  Please, Ian,
tell us that you would feel at least a twinge of regret at its departure.
Personally, I get high anxiety just thinking about HIP going away; much of
the enjoyment of my musical life would go down the toilet.

Also, I can't agree fully with the premise that people are drawn to the
"new".  Humans also like routines and what's familiar to them.  Then again,
all the cheating that married couples engage in does tend to support the
"new" premise.

Major fans of HIP performances see them as having evolved slowly over the
last few decades and being based on a combination of research and musical
preference.  It's not our fault that the record companies rarely produce
non-hip recordings of baroque music; the companies are convinced that they
will not sell well, that those who do not like HIP performances talk a good
game but won't put out their money for baroque music on modern instruments
unless the performing artists are the flavor of the month such as the
Eroica Trio.

Don Satz
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