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Modern vs period

February 17, 2026, 6:24 AM · Good morning,
I know some of you may be able to help with this.
I am a big fan of going to the opera as an audience member, so I have been looking for any groups in my area that perform as an amateur ensemble.
Thankfully I have found some, and I have asked/been invited to take part in a few.
However one of them I reached out to is a baroque specialist which I didn't realise before I reached out to them.
I haven't really done any period performance before (other than the odd bit of Bach/Telemann/Vivaldi).
I know that at conservatories etc. there are specific historically informed performance practise programmes, but my question is is can I just go straight into it? Or do you think a few period instrument lessons would be beneficial?
I have no interest in making a thing out of period performance really, but would like to be somewhat informed.

Many thanks in advance.

Replies (24)

Steve Jones

February 17, 2026, 7:46 AM · I'm sure you'll soon pick up the style. To be frank, I'm inclined to think that amateur groups specializing in baroque do so not because they're committed to HIP but because the music poses fewer technical challenges. Richard will probably correct me on this...

Hajime Eda

February 17, 2026, 8:08 AM · I remember there was a thread like this a while back. I introduced some books by Harnoncourt in that thread, so please feel free to check them out if you're interested.
Historically informed performance

Jake Watson

February 17, 2026, 8:14 AM · Steve I think that's a valid point.
Hajime many thanks. I will check it out.

Stephen Symchych

February 17, 2026, 8:58 AM · The main thing will be to acquire and install unwrapped gut strings. Then, to the extent possible, get a decent baroque or transitional bow.

Once you have your equipment set, there will be a handful of technical things to work on. But the conductor and concertmaster will doubtless lecture you on what they think you should be doing.

Tom Holzman

February 17, 2026, 9:24 AM · You need to ask the music director or some musician in the group what the group requires in terms of equipment. The baroque bow is probably the most important thing (although you can achieve a somewhat similar effect by holding a normal bow closer to the tip). Once you have the bow, Stephen points out that you probably need gut strings of some sort. Whether you need pure gut or something like Passiones will do (or whether you can get away with synthetics) is really a question for the music director or a musician in the group. Good luck!
There is some variation in what these groups require. I had a teacher who was in one of the premiere baroque groups where I live, and she quit when they started requiring period instruments. She simply did not want to go there. I also years ago went to a baroque concert with U of MD faculty where the only concession they made to period equipment was getting the right bows.

Jake Watson

Edited: February 17, 2026, 10:02 AM · Tom in the email I got from them they outlined the minimum expectations, so that isn't a problem.
They made out that "as a first timer" a baroque bow and gut strings are a good starting point.
But ultimately they request players to be CR/SR-less and a proper baroque instrument.
This is all money that I cannot afford to spend at the moment, but something to potentially look into in the future.

Steve Jones

February 17, 2026, 10:31 AM · Ah well, it seems the amateur baroque world has become more doctrinaire since I went there. But the equipment doesn't make the style. I'd be surprised to learn that the audience for baroque opera could tell or actually cared whether the violinists were using anachronistic prostheses.

Andrew Fryer

February 17, 2026, 10:57 AM · Will the conductor be banging on the floor with a staff to keep time?

Richard Pairaudeau

Edited: February 17, 2026, 11:35 AM · I've heard good baroque results from modern instruments played with the bow held further from the frog, as outlined by Tom, above. I doubt they had changed to gut strings, but perhaps they had tuned down somewhat, to moderate the 'brillo'. Generally though, it seems that baroque is no longer in the province of modern-instrument groups, while Mozart and Haydn are in dispute. Incidentally, though only a few times, I've seen baroque/renaissance operas where the (HIP) orchestra is raised to theatre floor level and is also in costume. Have a look at the opening of 'Orfeo' in the link below:

https://youtu.be/dBsXbn0clbU?si=4GHdkgMyS01NMcTc

Tom Holzman

February 17, 2026, 11:36 AM · @Jake - the baroque bow and gut strings are not as expensive as the instrument. You might want to go with the bow and strings and see how you like the group and the music. Then, if it is a good fit for you, you can decide whether to go all in and get the instrument. Good luck!

Steve Jones

February 17, 2026, 12:27 PM · Richard - in the UK baroque is still very much in the province of amateur modern-instrument groups. Is that not the case elsewhere in Europe or has "informed" become "enforced", HIP become HEP?

Jake Watson

February 17, 2026, 12:37 PM · Steve yes I agree. Several groups I have played in that are not HIP/HEP have played baroque stuff.
Tom I looked into the costs associated - they aren't too bad.
In terms of strings, what would people suggest? I had a look at Pirastro Eudoxa purely because they were the cheapest I found.

Richard Pairaudeau

February 17, 2026, 12:46 PM · Steve, you are right! I was thinking of professional performances, and it's certainly the case for European amateur modern-instrument groups that they can do as much baroque as they like and nobody complains.

Jake - I was wondering whether you had two instruments, so that you could fix up one for the HIP excursion and keep the other for modern stuff.

Mark Breiger

February 17, 2026, 1:00 PM · Eudoxa is probably not what they want.

Look at aquila, they have some inexpensive pure gut strings. You will need several e strings.

Stephen Symchych

February 17, 2026, 1:38 PM · The company that sells Goldbrokat E strings also has a line of pure gut. And the Tricolore people are a good place also.

Mark Breiger

February 17, 2026, 1:53 PM · Gamut, the tricolore people make excellent pure gut strings.

Optima, the goldbrokat folks, do not seem to have a gut e string.

Jake Watson

February 17, 2026, 4:36 PM · Richard I do indeed have 2 instruments - I was toying with the idea of "swapping" it into baroque set up. Only issue is it poorer quality than my main violin

Hajime Eda

Edited: February 17, 2026, 9:37 PM · Even if you don't use it on a regular basis, owning a baroque bow will be helpful in the long run, as you can always use it to re-familiarize yourself with the specific feel of period performance.
Regarding the chin rest, I disagree with their requirements. I suspect that they themselves are likely using some form of anti-slip material.

Tom Holzman

February 17, 2026, 7:19 PM · @Hajime - are you talking about the chin rest or the shoulder rest? What you need depends on how you hold the instrument. If you hold it under your chin, you will need some sort of cloth at least to cover and protect it if you do not have a chin rest. If you hold it against your upper chest, you probably won't need anything like that or a chin rest for that matter.
I think the problem I have is that the no CR no SR requirement is that it doesn't really enhance/change the sound any, unlike the baroque bow and the gut strings.

Paul Deck

Edited: February 17, 2026, 9:03 PM · Sounds to me like more of a cult than an orchestra. I hope they rehearse outdoors because in the 1700s folks didn't bathe regularly.

Hajime Eda

Edited: February 17, 2026, 10:55 PM · It might be feasible if they limit their repertoire, but I find it hard to believe that many people can perform downshifts smoothly without some form of security.
If using a cloth is acceptable under their standards, then the distinction between that and a wooden chin rest seems somewhat meaningless.
https://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/202511/30584/

Stephen Symchych

Edited: February 18, 2026, 4:34 AM · Ditching the mechanical shoulder pad does have some influence on sound, both for the freedom that can be gained by the violin body (micro-vibrations and macro changes of position), and the sorts of fingerings and vibrato one can plausibly adopt.

I will say that it was a really good experience for me to play in a period-instrument pit-- a lovely production of Cenerentola, as it happens. It is easy to get overwhelmed by sensory data when using modern composite strings with their blaze of overtones, and with a lot of modern setups, a lot of things sound good under the ear that shouldn't.

On the other hand, when we were in the resonant, lightly paneled wooden pit and blending with the wind band, playing even a little sharp on the gut E, A, or D ruined my instrument's tone and left me hung out to dry. I simply lost the overtone support from my own violin, as well as reinforcement from the section. All that went away when I hit the center of the pitch. The result was a lovely bloom on the sound even without aiming for Heifetz vibrato.

Paul Deck

February 18, 2026, 5:58 PM · someone blew out the HTML

Andrew Fryer

February 18, 2026, 6:36 PM · Has anyone mentioned lowering the neck angle? That will have more effect on sound than ditching the shoulder rest.

Modern vs period

Replies (24)

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