Historically Informed Performance (HIP) on period instruments is a movement which began in Europe in the 1960s. It is a performance style – previously referred to as Early Music – that evolved from performing music of the Baroque era and before on instruments and with interpretations corresponding to the time of composition. HIP is based on research into the aesthetics of the period in which the music was conceived and performed, including locating expressive markings and annotations in original scores and treatises, comparing these to some of the earliest recordings of Classical and Romantic repertoire, and identifying supporting evidence in the parallel disciplines of literature, theatre and the arts.
To the listener, there is an immediately noticeable contrast between the HIP approach and that of the mainstream symphony or chamber orchestra. This is due to different timbral relationships between wind, brass, string and percussion sections – for example, the HIP wind and brass instruments possess a slender sound quality that blends more readily with the delicate colours produced by gut strings. Articulations tend to be more pronounced, vibrato is employed as an ornament or expressive device, and players are more likely to introduce a slight glide – or portamento – between notes in Romantic works. Along with playing original historical instruments or replicas, the musicians interpret phrases – particularly in solos – with considerable expressive and rhythmic freedom, and add ornamentation based on an advanced understanding of the harmonic progression, and these techniques will routinely vary from performance to performance.
