Why HIPP Matters
Historically Informed Performance Practice (HIPP) is an important part of the modern musician’s education. While not everyone has to string up a Baroque replica with gut strings, it benefits understanding and appreciation to possess some knowledge of the technical and social requirements of the centuries-old music we spend so much time learning and performing.
In lessons and performances, Mr. Fine addresses the evolution of stringed instrument technology along with the social function of composers, musicians, and music in general.
What’s the difference?
There are quite a few differences between the modern set-up and a Baroque set-up. Modern string technology makes use of high-tech synthetic materials that behave differently under the bow. Modern strings ring with fewer overtones, but are more reliable (less likely to squeak or crunch) and longer-lasting. The camber, balance, length, and weight of the bow have all changed dramatically. The modern bow possesses much greater strength at the tip and tends more towards a sustained sound; the shorter, lighter Baroque bows provide a clearer rhythm in the bow strokes. Baroque violin and viola are performed without a chin rest or shoulder rest, performance technique and posture adjust to compensate. And the instruments themselves have shorter necks that protrude at a slightly different angle. The bridge is carved flatter, and, inside, the bass bar is sometimes carved directly into the belly.
Where’d you get yours?
My viola, made in 2011 by Christopher Bollman, was purchased from Gabriela Guadalajara’s shop in New York City. I had been shopping for a Baroque viola for years at the point I found this one. I considered commissioning an instrument, but now, I’m glad I didn’t. I don’t think I ever would have considered asking for a viola this large.
The viola is a copy of an instrument made by one of the famous “brothers” Amati, Hieronymus AKA Girolamo (1561-1630). First, in partnership with his brother Antonius, and then on his own, Hieronymus continued the tradition of Cremonese violin-making excellence begun by their father, Andrea (whom many consider the father of the violin family). Hieronymus’s fifth son, Nicolò, went on to run the shop that spawned Andrea Guarneri (grandfather of the famous Guarneri del Gesù) and Giovanni Rogeri, and perhaps apprenticed even Stainer and Stradivari.