Topmusicanswers
The real difference between the two instruments is the way they're played. The modern violin sounds forceful and declamatory in comparison with its baroque ancestor. Baroque violin playing has a gentler tone with hardly any vibrato. The complex nuances of bowing give it a sort of swelling-fading sound.
- What important part of the modern violin was completely missing from the baroque violin?
- How is the baroque bow different from a modern bow?
- Did baroque violinists use vibrato?
- How were strings during the Baroque era different than modern strings?
What important part of the modern violin was completely missing from the baroque violin?
Chin-rests and shoulder-rests are not used – the chin rest which is universally used on a modern violin was not invented until the early 19th century, though Abbe Fils used some kind of device for a similar purpose. Shoulder rests were absent, being a 20th-century invention.
How is the baroque bow different from a modern bow?
In simplest terms, the Baroque bow wood was a flat or convex shape and shorter than the modern bow, which is longer and has a concave shape. Baroque bows performed best at the era's dance music, where the first beat of the music was heavier and the second beat light. ... You can't modernize a bow.”
Did baroque violinists use vibrato?
During the Baroque era, vibrato was used sparingly, for emphasis on long, accentuated notes in pieces with an affect or character to which it was suited. ... The type of vibrato called an 'ornament', which often veered into poor intonation, was rightly restricted by 18th-century writers.
How were strings during the Baroque era different than modern strings?
The physical differences between modern and baroque violins mean that the baroque violin is softer. The fact that the neck is angled back on the modern instrument means that the tension of the strings can be much higher without breaking the neck.
