What is a baroque violin?

Question

What makes a baroque period violin (in historical set-up) different than our modern set-up violins?

Answer 1

In the 19th Century virtually every violin in use was modernized, for a variety of reasons including larger venues, larger orchestras with other modernized instruments, changing esthetic tastes, and the evolution of music composition. In the 20th Century more modifications were made for the same reasons, but also because musicians were traveling more, and the instruments needed to be stable when flying to a totally different climate.

Violins in the time of J.S. Bach, for example, had shorter but wider necks, flatter bridges, lighter bass bars inside the instrument, shorter fingerboards, lighter tailpieces, tail gut rather than tail wire, and the players used gut strings (primarily sheep intestine treated and twisted, occasionally wound in metal).

Baroque violinists today play without chin rest, as it was invented circa 1800, and without shoulder rest, as it was invented circa 1960-1970.

Playing period instruments in an historically-informed manner requires reading primary and secondary sources, such as the teachers’ treatises of the time. There is ample evidence that different shifting techniques were used along with different fingerings, and that in some regions there were players who played without contacting the jaw/chin to the instrument.

One way to explore the baroque esthetic is to use a baroque bow (replica) on your normal, modern set-up violin. Learning to play with this lighter, shorter bow opens up a world of possibilities in articulation and phrasing.

When students ask about the left hand, I usually recommend looking at works by Michele Corrette, and learning to shift while playing an open string. For example, start in third position on the G-string, playing a C Major scale with this fingering: 1 0 *1 2 3 0 *3 4

The first star indicates shifting to first position on the D-string, and the second star indicates shifting to third position on the D-string (after having played open A-string).

This is an introduction to a manner of fingering that allows for shifting without the use of the jaw.

So, baroque violin isn’t only the equipment; it’s also the research and the physiological approach to playing. There are many degrees of “baroque” vs. “modern” with many variations. Just as each artist and teacher was an individual with distinct ways of playing circa 1700, the same is true for baroque violinists today. The motivations for historical authenticity vary from violinist to violinist.

Ultimately, in my opinion, *personal* authenticity is the most important aspect in musical artistry, regardless of style and equipment.