An Early Attempt at HIP

In the classical music world, the acronym HIP stands for historically informed performance. HIP attempts to use the performance style and instrument designs of the period during which each performed work was composed.


An early manifestation of the HIP movement was the American Society of Ancient Instruments, founded in 1929 by Ben Stad. Stad, a Dutch-born, Philadelphia-based musician,  became interested in early string instruments while still in Holland, and amassed a collection of early Baroque-era viols. The personnel and instrumentation of the ensemble, which was nearly a "family band," was:

Ben Stad - viola d'amore
Joseph Brodo - quinton (five string viol)
Josef Smit - viola de gamba
Maurice Stad - bass de viole
Flora Stad - harpsichord.

The Society recorded a fair amount for Victor during the 1930s, and some of these recordings have made it into the digital realm. However, Victor album M 271, titled Bach-Handel Album, has not been available digitally, and it's an interesting one. The specially-designed album book holds three ten-inch records and one twelve-incher. The album's musical centerpiece is a Suite by Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach, one of the most accomplished of Johann Sebastian Bach's sons. The three-movement Suite, which is not identified by key or opus number, is spread  across two of the ten-inch records and one side of the larger disc.

The other side of the twelve-inch record has a Sinfonia from the elder Bach's Cantata #35, Geist und Seele. The final ten-inch disc contains a rather odd choice for a string ensemble: Handel's Firework Music. Handel's suite was written for a large ensemble of winds and percussion; at the request of King George II, there were "no fiddles" at the premiere.

Which brings us to the question of how "historically informed" these recordings are. Research into early music was in its infancy in 1935, and Stad seemed to feel that playing these compositions on instruments from the time (or slightly before the time) of their composition was good enough. Without knowing more about the C.P.E. Bach Suite, I can't judge the "accuracy" of this performance. But the Bach cantata excerpt is obviously an arrangement, since the original scoring included oboes. And the performance of the Firework Music by a small consort of viols is, well, simultaneously charming and ridiculous.

But this was a noble attempt for the time, and it makes for enjoyable listening, whether it's historically accurate or not. My copy of this album, found at an estate sale a few years ago, is in very nice condition. The records are pressed on "Z" shellac, the higher-quality material Victor used for some classical pressings in the mid-1930s. For what it's worth, all four records are pressed from "A" stampers - meaning that they are early pressings of these records. Victor often went through scores of stampers for popular records; I wonder if they ever wore out the "A" stampers of this album, which probably had a limited appeal.

I have joined the parts of the first two movements of the C.P.E. Bach Suite, since they were each spread over two sides. Apologies for the slight rumbles at the beginning of the third movement and of the cantata "Sinfonia" - these are caused by a slight warp in the twelve-inch record.

The Bach-Handel Album was recorded in Victor's Camden, New Jersey Studio No. 2 on May 6, 1935.

C.P.E. Bach: Suite, Movement 1 - Allegro Moderato (Victor 1714)
C.P.E. Bach: Suite, Movement 2 - Andante Lento Molto (Victor 1715)
C.P.E. Bach: Suite, Movement 3 - Allegretto (Victor 8720, side one)

J.S. Bach: Second Sinfonia from Cantata 35 (Victor 8720, side two)

Handel: Firework Music - Allegro (La Rejouissance) / Largo alla Sicilliana (La Paix) (Victor 1716, side one)
Handel: Firework Music - Bourree / Minuet / Minuet No. 2 (Victor 1716, side two)