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Using "period instruments" for early 20th century music

Author: ruben
Date: 2014-07-23 11:36

The French conductor François-Xavier Roth recently made a recording of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring using "period instruments". The recording and live performances were well-reviewed. I imagine this would mean using French bassoons, Louis Lot flutes, gut strings, French brass instruments, etc. What would this mean for clarinets? A different mouthpiece? A Couesnon clarinet or early 2Oth century Buffet?
Do our readers find this endeavour worthwhile or gimmicky? What I do find is that it makes the music once again sound like what it was meant to be: ballet music. This is also the impression that I get when I listen to old Monteux and Ansermet recordings. The textures are lighter and the sound, brighter. Both of these conductors premiered many of Stravinsky's works.
Ultimately, I suppose there will be performances of Stockhausen's Gesang Der Junglinge using period instruments: IBM and Univox computers from the 50s that have long disappeared (they exist in computer museums)! I'm only half kidding. Where will one find the Ondes Martenots for Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony, for example?

rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com

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