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There had been some interviews with Mühlfeld, with members of the orchestra, and they're notated down and there's a description of Mühlfeld's playing, and one of the most famous descriptions says that he played with a BIG vibrato...we know from descriptions that Joachim hardly used vibrato except in expressive moments, much less than people do today; but according to the letters, Mühlfeld used as much vibrato as any string player of that time.

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Just before World War II a question was put to a very old viola-player, sometime conductor of the Duke of Devonshire's Orchestra, about the playing of Mühlfeld. The old man had occasionally been called in by Joachim to play in his quartet, and on several occasions had played the Brahms Quintet with the great Mühlfeld. Of the clarinettist's playing he was most enthusiastic, saying that three things mainly stuck in his memory. "He used two clarinets, A and Bb for the slow movement, to simplify the gypsy section; he had a fiery technique with a warm tone – and a big vibrato." Asked again by a startled questioner if he didn't mean to say 'rubato' the old man looked puzzled. "No," he said, "vibrato – much more than Joachim and as much as the 'cellist." (It will be recalled that Joachim was reputed to play with little or no vibrato.) This account, while of no authority, does at least give one food for thought; it could be that the achievements of exceptional players (and Mühlfeld was certainly that) do not always take root in the years that follow their finest period.