Analysing String Fingerings in Early Recordings: Methods for Computer-aided deconstruction

In 1919 Joachim’s former student Tivadar Nachéz criticized the Joachim/Moser-edition of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas as distorting Joseph Joachim’s intentions. In particular he took offence in a specific fingering:
“If any of his pupils had ever attempted to play […] the end of the Bourée in the B minor Partita of Bach [arpeggiated] à la Moser, Joachim would have broken his bow over their heads!“
Joachim’s own recording of the movement, almost certainly unknown to both Nachéz and Andreas Moser, Joachim’s assistant in Berlin, allows for a unique comparison of the printed fingerings with what Joachim actually played himself. But while it is obvious from listening that Joachim does not in fact “arpeggiate” the chord “à la Moser”, it is much more difficult to know which exact fingering he had used for this difficult passage.
This paper will explore methods of deconstructing string fingerings in early recordings using software-analysis and -visualisation, making it possible in the above-mentioned instance to prove that Joachim does not in fact follow Nachéz’ fingering (as given in his 1919 edition) either, but uses a third fingering which only appears in one of his other students’ editions.
Several aspects in the visualisation of fingerings will be examined in detail, using historical recordings by Marie Soldat and the Klingler Quartet, amongst others. It will be shown how the combination of computer-aided analysis and practice-based knowledge can accurately piece together details of string playing, which would otherwise remain an enigma.