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Vibrato Wars

Many people think a peace treaty was signed after the vibrato wars of the 1970s, when the plush string textures of the modern symphony orchestra were challenged by the leaner sound of historical instruments. Eliminating vibrato, along with playing on gut strings, was the most noticeable mark of historically informed performance style. Before it was even called HIP, employing “authentic instruments” set early-music players apart from symphony orchestras, and singing with a pristine, boy-like sound marked a new vocal coloring.

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Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre’s 350th Birthday

A clever self-promoter, Jacquet de La Guerre augmented her exceptional musical talents with a combination of shrewd risk taking, perceptive opportunism, and persuasive ability. Described by the Mercure Galant, a prominent French newspaper of the time, as a “marvel of our century,” Jacquet was born into a musical family, and was highly favored by King Louis XIV. From a young age, she received musical training at his court. She later composed and performed works that spanned several genres, publishing many of them, which was quite unusual for a woman.

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