Mimi Ezust wrote:

>I don't see any problem.  None at all.  You want HIP? There are dozens
>of HIP violin players out there.  Some of my best friends are baroque.
>Zukerman is fine, just the way he is.  It ain't baroque: so don't fix it.

Reminds me of something I read about Perlman--that he would rather listen
to rock'n'roll than the "wire choir" sound of HIP strings.  Can't recall
where I read that.  I can see that if you spend your life perfecting what
you think is the ideal sound you might not see the point of changing it.
Either of those gentlemen is perfectly capable of making whatever sound
they want on their instruments, and yes they can play in tune without
using vibrato.  Count me with the conservatives if it makes you feel better,
but I am still suspicious of the HIP (or neo- or post- HIP) movement in
general, while acknowledging that there are some truly fine performers
out there.  Maybe it's unavoidable that what begins as a simple scholarly
inquiry into the nature of contemporary performances tends to acquire a
sort of cult status just because it bucked the mainstream.  So the
suspicion lingers that all too many mediocre musicians look to HIP as
a sort of salvation, something to distract them from doing the work of
getting good.  These are the poseurs that frequent university campuses,
and they have nothing to do with the serious commitment of the better ones.
Somewhere along the line it's what the music has to say that matters, and
HIP is only worthwhile to the extent it makes the music happen.

Chris Bonds