Should I use vibrato for baroque?

Ibid., 291. In conclusion, the modern player should use a considerably narrower vibrato than is customary in modern technique. The wide pitch variation of modern vibrato is part of what makes it sound out of the Baroque style. An effort should be made to keep the vibrato motion contained.

Does baroque music have vibrato?

Vibrato was also well known and much valued during baroque times in its application on the clavichord, known in German as Bebung. The depression of the key strikes the string directly thus permitting variation of touch (hard/soft), as well as a form of vibrato achieved by moving the key gently from side to side.

When did string players start using vibrato?

1920, an admonishment to use it sparingly. The late 19th and early 20th century Viennese violinist Fritz Kreisler is credited with popularizing the constant vibrato we now associate with classical (and pop) violin playing.

Should Bach be played with vibrato?

Students often ask me, ‘How should I play Bach?’ The answer is easy – you should play with good sound, a lovely rhythm…and vibrato. Of course, students often question the use of vibrato in Baroque music.

Why do string players use vibrato?

The use of vibrato is intended to add warmth to a note. In the case of many string instruments the sound emitted is strongly directional, particularly at high frequencies, and the slight variations in pitch typical of vibrato playing can cause large changes in the directional patterns of the radiated sound.

Is vibrato controllable?

Even among mainstream musicians, attitudes today embrace vibrato as a controllable aspect of technique and artistry.

What was the vibrato wars?

As the period-instrument movement became ascendant in the 1970s and ’80s, its advocates sought to eliminate vibrato from performances of Baroque and classical music, arguing that in those periods, vibrating was merely ornamental, to be used sparingly, if ever.

Why was vibrato not used in the Baroque period?

In the Baroque period, it was thought that if vibrato was used too widely, slowly or simply too often in one section of the orchestra, it could obscure an important harmony in another section.

Is vibrato unnecessary in music?

Many believe it to be unnecessary – a flowery addition that covers up the real beauty of the music. Even Mozart said that string players used vibrato too often, and that they should be used only on sustained notes and at the ends of phrases when used as an ornament.

Why did continuous vibrato become so popular?

Baroque violinist Jude Ziliak believes that the rising popularity of continuous vibrato in the 20th century is linked to the falling popularity of portamento (Early Music America). So perhaps as the downward slide or ‘swoop’ became less popular, continuous vibrato began to replace it as a way of adding expression to the music.

What is a vibrato sound?

Vibrato is basically a vibrating or pulsating of the sound, which is used to add expression to the music. Generally speaking, it’s regular in both pitch and oscillation.