Mahan Esfahani’s J.S. Bach recordings, on harpsichord and clavichord, are rich in virtuosity and imagination. Although the music on this newest album, including preludes, inventions, and sinfonias, was composed for teaching purposes, Esfahani sees beyond the printed page and manages to coax a vocal character from his instrument.
Exuberant Bach from Mahan Esfahani Read More »
Using the in-vogue terms of ‘media’ and ‘materiality,’ this collection finds insights in the objects of everyday music-making. Its chapters cover a range of topics, from conventional notation to the layout and decorations of illuminated manuscripts. In case after case, the visual, textual, and tactile effects of a manuscript impacted how the musicians engaged with its content.
On Materiality of Musical Sources Read More »
Two first-time artistic directors of esteemed early-music ensembles — Priscilla Herreid at Philadelphia’s Piffaro and Liza Malamut at Chicago’s Newberry Consort — are countering social and economic trends with fresh attitudes and new concert ideas. They’re part of a cohort of leaders bringing historical performance in line with today’s audience expectations.
New Leaders, Fresh Perspectives Read More »
This is a deeply satisfying new recording from the Indiana-based Alchymy Viols, joined by countertenor Michael Walker II. In his notes, Walker defines spirituals as preserving the history, sadness, joy, and hope of the enslaved Africans’ experience in the Americas. Their historically informed approach treats this repertoire in ways that feel both surprising and familiar.
Negro Spirituals, the Folk Songs of the New World Read More »
For a time, countertenor Russell Oberlin was the star of the American early-music scene, from concert and recital halls to TV appearances and on best-selling records. But his career was short-lived, and performance styles evolved away from his dated, often mannered delivery. But what a sensationally beautiful voice. A new box set captures Oberlin in his prime, singing with some of the great pioneers of the early-music movement.
Russell Oberlin, Early Music’s First Star Read More »
