‘A great many musicians have listened to, and been inspired by the birds…It’s a sort of natural music far beyond our ability to understand or reproduce. Our attempts at repeating birdsong may be poor imitations, but at the same time we have been moved to compose, perform, and hear music that would not be what it is were it not for avian inspiration. Birds represent nature, spring, love…’
Musings: For the Birds Read More »
‘What made music exciting and interesting for listeners in the early 17th century, when vocal and instrumental music was exploring declamation, rhetorical delivery, theatricality, and the ability to move the listener? Today, how do we generate excitement and how do we take a historical approach? Do we need breakneck tempos, edgy string playing, machine-gun coloratura, and stridency to make our points?’
Toil & Trouble: What’s the Historical Approach to Generate Excitement? Read More »
As the Boston Camerata celebrates its 70th season, two new early-music ensembles are making their debuts. In Cleveland, an outfit called CLE Concierto offers music by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. In Vermont, Burlington Baroque presents an inaugural festival aiming to start a year-round series. Exciting times ahead.
Checking in with Ensembles Old and Brand New Read More »
In his Canto column, historical oboist Geoffrey Burgess argues that modern circumstances too often take us far from the collaborative nature of early music and the shared goals of singers and instrumentalists. Understandably, many singers feel the need to become generalists. But now is the time to re-evaluate our current practices.
CANTO: Phrase it Like a Singer? Read More »
Byzantine chant treats the human voice as a fretless instrument. Its cultural roots place it at a unique intersection of ‘world music’ and historically informed performance.
I psaltikà téchni – Discovering Byzantine Chant Read More »
