hello fiddle list

i have a different attitude to vibrato than bob borcherding,  who wrote:

I use vibrato, as an ornament, when it 'seems to be needed', both in
old-time and Irish, but sparingly.

An ornament is just like one an ornament that you might put on a
Christmas tree.  If you cannot see the tree, you have too many.  The
tune (or the tree, if you will) is the heart of the music, whereas an
ornament is an occasional blip overlaid on the tune to make it more
interesting.  (endquote)

i agree with mike that vibrato can be overused,  or used in the wrong 
places,  but this is rare.  to me,  the difference between a violin note 
played with vibrato,  and the exact same note played without vibrato,  is 
like the difference between  a note sung by a singer who has a good voice, 
and the same note sung by a singer who has a bad voice.  in other words,  i 
see vibrato as a property of the characteristic sound of a player like the 
sound of his voice,  rather than being an ornament like a trill or a turn, 
that the player can choose to insert or not,  as he chooses.

this is why i never had any time for the argument often heard in 
original-instrument circles:  that you can't use vibrato in this piece 
simply because the composer didn't intend it.  in my view,  what is more 
important than whether the composer intended it or not,  is whether it 
sounds better or worse.  in my view,  only a lunatic would say:  "hmm,  this 
piece sounds good with vibrato",  but then after discovering in an ancient 
textbook that vibrato hadn't been intended by the composer,  he changes his 
view and says:  "no,  in fact it doesn't sound so good after all."

as far as i know,  the question of vibrato being originally intended or not 
by the composer is not only irrelevant,  it's controversial too - check out 
this interview with pinchas zukerman,  for example:

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/10/interview-with-pinchas-zukerman.html

i realise that vibrato is less often used in folk music than in classical 
music,  but i still believe that mark o'connor would sound nothing like as 
good if he didn't use it.  (and that jay ungar would sound better if he did, 
for that matter).


best regards


paul r


"I won't lie to you,  fatherhood isn't easy like motherhood."  - Homer 
Simpson 

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