Brian Blackwell replies to me:

>>Now HIP has made its way into the Classical and Romantic eras - in short,
>>the standard orchestral repertoire.  For many reasons, I believe they'll
>>remain largely an addendum here ...
>>
>>Chamber music, however, is less "feudal," if you will.  The
>>field seems more open to just the kind of rethinking HIP represents.
>
>I'm interested that you've come to this conclusion.  It seems to me
>that the period performance movement has been very successful in the
>'re-invention' of Classical and Romantic orchestral music, and much less
>so in the area of chamber music.  We have dozens of HIP recordings of the
>Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven symphonies, a growing selection of Brahms
>and Schumann cycles, as well as Wagner, Bruckner, etc.

My thoughts may have been expressed fuzzily because they were fuzzy
themselves.  It just seems to me that, despite (I agree) success as
measured by number of new recordings of HIP realization of Romantic
orchestral scores, I can't see the HIP movement taking over Romantic
performance the way it has Baroque.  Indeed, it's the rare modern orchestra
that tackles Baroque orchestral repertoire, whereas it used to be standard,
especially with reduced forces.  I can't conceive of the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra, however, giving up Beethoven symphonies because Roger Norrington
also performs them.  This is largely the stated reason (anyway) for
orchestras like the NY Phil not doing Handel's op.  3:  "specialist"
(read HIP) groups do it.

>As far as original-instruments chamber music is concerned, there are only
>a handful of groups who have experimented with Romantic repertoire, and
>most haven't yet tackled the Everests of the genre, such as late Beethoven
>quartets, Brahms piano trios etc.

I think it's coming, don't you? It seems to me inevitable, especially since
HIP chamber groups need repertoire audiences are familiar with (like just
about any other performing group).  You're right, there aren't that many
HIP chamber groups, but they're coming.  It's easier to persuade 4 people
to do something than 80 people (or one orchestra business manager) to do
something.

Steve Schwartz