Introduction

‘In order to do justice to the piece which he is about to perform, the player must first acquaint himself with the conditions under which it originated. For a work by Bach or Tartini demands a different style of delivery from one by Mendelssohn or Spohr. The space of a century that divides the two first mentioned from the last two means in the historical development of our art not only a great difference in regard to form, but even a greater with respect to musical expression.’

This far-sighted advice appeared at the very beginning of the twentieth century in Joseph Joachim's Violinschule, written in collaboration with his pupil Andreas Moser. Inevitably, Joachim's historical approach to Bach or Tartini must have been very different from today's and certainly did not involve a change of violin or bow. But one of the remarkable achievements of the following 100 years has been the probing investigation of musical styles of various eras, with stimulating and often surprising results. Tradition and intuition have been increasingly complemented by an unprecedented realisation of the practical value of primary sources.

The perceptive musical mind has indeed emerged as a necessary adjunct to mere technique and artistry. According to one of his pupils, the great pioneer Arnold Dolmetsch once characteristically remarked that he wanted his students to learn principles rather than pieces, so that they could do their own thinking.