Vibrato

[Delicious Manager]

I have worked with Norrington on several occasions - both with modern- and period-instrument orchestras. On the most part, I have found him a refreshing and invigorating musician who makes people THINK about the music. I listened to his Mahler 9 twice on consecutive days. I found that sometimes I liked the leanness of sound, while at others I felt it detracted from the music. One size fits all? I don't think so.

These things are never simply 'black and white' - one needs the greys in between to make complete musical sense. Vibrato is not so new - the great Baroque violin masters such as Biber, Corelli, Vivaldi and Locatelli used vibrato, albeit as something of a special effect. It seems to have become much less common during the Classical period and was revitalised in the mid-19th century.

Stephen Hough (ironically perhaps for a pianist!) makes a very good point in pointing-out the differences in the way modern steel and synthetic strings behave in contrast with their gut precursors. I think Norrington makes three fundamental errors:

1) He adopts the 'black and white', 'all or nothing' approach to vibrato
2) His historical information seems to be incomplete and selectively chosen
3) He tries to apply 19th-century techniques on 21st-century instruments, equipment and sensibilities

I sometimes wonder if Norrington is simply trying to play 'Devil's advocate' and to be controversial just for the sake of it. If he is, it's a great shame because I think he has a VAST amount to offer the musical world with his thought-provoking performances. If only he'd explore a little more grey...

[Norbit]

David Popper is said to have employed a continuous vibrato. In Stephen De'ak's biography of Popper, he includes some criticism from a concert early in his career for this very reason.

Apparently, in mentioning "soulful warmth in singing passages" [in a review of the concert], the critic stimulated a complaint to the editor in the form of an article expressing dislike for Popper's use of the vibrato (which had previously been sparingly employed, but was in a process of evolution and being cultivated increasingly by cellists). ["It is known that the famous cellist Piatti used vibrato very seldom and in only very expressive passages."]

The critic answered this article in March, and the objecting correspondent made further reply in the November issue. The critic's answer and the final objection are shown below:

"With regards to the violoncello virtuoso Mr. David Popper: the author of said article would have done better not to burden the excellent artist nor the 'nerves of the listeners' with the result of his own lack of pertinent understanding. The Leipzig musicians who were present at the concert--and they were assembled in great numbers and among them out best names--attest to Mr. Popper that none of the expressed criticism had any real foundation. His tone is excellent, and one could not discover any trace of the intolerable 'vibrating' of some virtuosos; the manner of presentation which he applied and which is necessary for the required warmth of the tone was only the shaking (or oscillating) vibrato movement as it is legitimately taught." [Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, March, 1863].

"... Next, objection is raised to our statement that Mr. David Popper had tried the nerves of his listeners by continuous vibrato and it is claimed that the vibrato of the gentleman had been the 'shaking (or oscillating) movement as it is legitimately taught.' Well, we will not insist on the term: we did not, thus, perceive a single tone from Mr. D. Popper to which--the tempo permitting--he did not apply his 'legitimately taught vibrato movement'; if the critic of the 'Neue Zeitschrift für Musik' found this to his liking it only proves that he no longer has any sense for a natural homogeneous tone and the his hearing organs have been infected by a sickness of taste which at the moment is indeed the fashion; perhaps he will even go a little further and try to apply a legitimately executed trill to each note of a vocal piece as had already happened." [NZfM, November 1863].

I have seen other opinions expressed on vibrato dating back to the Eighteenth Century. This, however, does not say much about orchestras. I look forward to reading the Classics Today articles later.

[chill319]

I forget where I got this from, but I was under the impression that Auer and his students had something to do with promulgating the nonstop use of continuous passionate vibrato. Does anyone know if there's anything to that?

[Norbit]

I just downloaded the first of the four parts of the Classics Today articles on orchestra vibrato. It's 118 pages! And that's just the first part.