Johan van Veen quotes Donald Satz:

>>I remember well an interview in Fanfare where Zukerman sounded very fearful
>>and hostile of the HIP movement.  I don't know what his problem was.  It
>>could all be resolved (win-win situation) if he showed a little flexibility
>>- pick up a baroque violin and learn to play it well; Zukerman problem
>>gone.

Johan continues:

>I fear that his problems rather start if he would do that.  Yo Yo Ma did
>it, and has started to play the baroque cello.  In an interview he said how
>difficult it was for him to play on a baroque cello.  And he is a top class
>musician!  But he should be highly respected for trying - and not without
>success!

Well, I bought one CD of Y-Y Ma playing the "Baroque" cello, and--well,
it's not exactly what one expected.

They claimed to have "reverse-engineered" the cello; actually, they didn't.
they replaced some of the non-glued components; I think the bridge, but not
the soundpost (I forget), and he used a baroque bow.  They did not replace
the fingerboard or the neck.  They took out (I believe) the pin.  I wish I
had my CD notes here to give you more accurate information!

The result is very pleasant:  Yo-yo Ma playing adaptations of Bach
cantatas, sometimes playing the accompaniment, with the voice line
played by a wind instrument; sometimes playing the vocal line.

Ma really seems to enjoy playing this repertoire, and it shows.  Also, he's
not competing with mainline HIP folks (ah, that this phrase is needed now!
Next it'll be "neo-HIP" and "quasi-HIP" ...  where will it end?), since
they haven't done this kind of thing.

I would like a cellist, if he/she can afford it, to have two instruments,
and learn to play both:  one modern, one baroque.  This strict split into
specialized camps is neither necessary nor desirable.  The word "purity"
does not belong in music.  Well, perhaps it does, but it has acquired ugly
connotations.

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