Donald Clarke responds to me:

>>It was reduced vibrato from strings and voices, sharper phrasing,
>>greater emphasis on brass and woodwinds, cleaner textures w/enhanced
>>dialogue, and the appeal of being able to place myself in the era of
>>the composition.
>
>We could have had these qualities from a modern orchestra (no doubt reduced
>in size).

To a degree, yes.  However, period strings have a very different sound
than their modern counterparts, and I much prefer the former.  Also, I
am not able to place myself back in time with modern orchestra accounts
(be they HIP oriented or not).

At this point, I am at a loss as to why we are debating this topic.  I
said that aesthetics and musical enjoyment are my priorities, not some
rigid devotion to historical accuracy.  It just happens that my personal
preferences are well served through an historical perspective.  Most
important to me is that I love the sound of baroque strings in baroque
music.

Don Satz
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