The Eastman School of Music has brought the sounds of the past to Rochester by installing an historic full-size Italian Baroque organ in the University of Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery. The magnificent instrument, originally built around 1770 in the region of central Italy, represents the genesis of Baroque organ music played and taught worldwide. With its…
This is the first period where we can begin to be fairly certain as to how a great deal of the music which has survived actually sounded. The earliest written secular music dates from the 12th century troubadours (in the form of virelais, estampies, ballades, etc.), but most notated manuscripts emanate from places of learning usually connected with the church…
Among the most famous musicians of early modern Lombardy were its cloistered nuns, despite the efforts of church officials to limit their musical lives. In Celestial sirens : nuns and their music in early modern Milan, Robert L. Kendrick (Oxford, 1996) details the cultural context, religious traditions, musical styles, and personal meaning of the music written…
During the late seventeenth century the recorder was completely redesigned for use as a solo instrument. Where previously it had been made in one or two pieces it was now made in three allowing for more accurate boring. It was given a more pronounced taper than ever before and had a fully chromatic range of two octaves and ultimately two octaves and a fifth…
The Rose Ensemble Dave Kapell The Rose Ensemble s celestial voices team up with a Baroque band to present this unique seasonal program of glorious 17th-century music from Italy, preserved in the Cathedral archives on the Island of Malta, and now being heard for the first time in hundreds of years. Imagine the splendor of the great Baroque churches of Venice and…
Gothic, baroque is at once a qualitative term and a historical concept. In everydaydiscourse, the term baroque is used pejoratively to mean over-wrought, complex, and excessive.At the same time, describes a cultural movement of the seventeenth century, defined bycharacteristic styles in the visual arts, music, and literature. Its most common usage is as areference…
If You Use Gut Strings . . . Players that perform early music on instruments set up in the baroque style use gut strings. In fact, there are still many traditional players that prefer gut strings because of their warmth, complexity, layers of tonal colors, and soft hand feel. It takes practice playing on them because of their slower response and tendency to…
The Baroque period began during the early 17th century in Italy and lasted over a century in some parts of Europe. As a style, Baroque artwork combines dramatic compositions, beautiful details, and emotionally charged subject matter to give viewers as intense a visual experience as possible. Baroque murals and paintings are often found in churches and cathedrals…
Today’s continuo players tend to use lutes in the old tuning: Renaissance lutes, archlutes and theorbos. But, remarkably, the baroque lute seems to be a neglected instrument for accompaniment. There is no reason not to use it, however, as its tuning allows for easy chord shapes and its bass range is ideal for most baroque music. In larger ensembles a lute might…
The earliest pianos were called fortepianos because they could be played loudly (forte) and softly (piano). Over the years the instrument has matured and developed and the terminology has developed with it, so that in modern lingo we call it the pianoforte, usually abbreviated to just piano. The Piano is Born in the Baroque Period During the Baroque period…
( Preparatory Level - Level 10 ) Various/ed. Snell - Neil A. Kjos Music Company The eleven levels of Piano Repertoire provide teachers and students with the most comprehensive series of graded piano literature available. A wide variety of the finest music has been carefully selected for student appeal, including time tested favorites and lesser-known gems. The…
Centaur CRC 3368 Archetti Baroque String Ensemble was founded in 2010 by violinist Carla Moore and viola da gambist John Dornenburg to perform the rich chamber concerto repertory of the Baroque era. The collective experience and artistry of Archetti’s members creates distinctive, dynamic and historically-informed interpretations without a conductor. The ensemble’s…
These are all forms for musical compositions. They call for varying musical forces and last for different durations, but it should be emphasized that all of these definitions have exceptions. The words used in describing a musical composition are well defined at a certain point in time, and the meaning of a word changes imperceptibly from year to year. Over decades…
​That being said, the Baroque Era (~1600 - 1750) was the first of several periods to define classical music. This style featured grand themes, clear and simple melodies, and dramatic ideas . The handsome guy in the wig is, one of the most famous Baroque composers. He, along with others such as George Fridric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, and George Philipp Telemann…
As a choirmaster in 1870s Salzburg, Innocenz Achleitner often saw sheet music treated in a less-than-reverent manner. It might be scattered across a composer’s desk, crammed into vocalists’ folios, or even marred with personal notes about bowings or breath marks. Never before, however, had he seen it wrapped around vegetables. Only about 80% of men at the time…
Tafelmusik ranks among the world s top period ensembles, and its individual members are often the best you ll hear anywhere. —Toronto Star The Choir a gift of the gods. —Classical 96.3 FM Are you looking to experience quality Toronto classical music events? In this city we are lucky to have an abundance of organizations and venues that present classical…
Concentration and studying Baroque music Are you a person who is easily distracted? In the midst of a busy day at the office finding creative space to concentrate and forge ahead is a real challenge. Here’s a suggestion… it’s possible to set up a creative space by playing baroque background music as you work. Not your style? If you’re willing to give it a trial…
Despite the familiarity of the guitar today, it is in fact one of the earliest known instruments for the performance of both classical and popular folk music, and guitar-like instruments have been in existence in numerous cultures throughout the world for more than five thousand years. It is portable, and capable of producing harmony as well as single-line…
See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick s guidebooks. Hi, I m Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe. This time we re in a city that for centuries has been a magnet for world travelers. We re in eternally entertaining Rome. There s history everywhere here in the city of the Caesars. The Colosseum reminds…
If you’re a lover of Handel, you will probably want to check out the three big festivals in Germany focused on his music: Göttingen, Halle and Karlsruhe. The Göttingen International Handel Festival takes place in May and usually chooses one of his operas as a headline: this year’s is Lotario. Soon after is the Handel Festival Halle, at the composer’s birthplace…
Sarah Connolly as Phaedra in Glyndebourne s new Hippolyte et Aricie (photo: Bill Cooper) Italian and English Baroque operas have gained popularity in the UK in recent decades – helped along by some inspired productions by Glyndebourne and English National Opera. Now, following fascinating productions this summer of both Charpentier’s Medea (ENO) and Rameau’s…
Music is so naturally united with us that we cannot be free from it even if we so desired (Boethius cited by Storr). usic s interconnection with society can be seen throughout history. Every known culture on the earth has music. Music seems to be one of the basic actions of humans. However, early music was not handed down from generation to generation or recorded…
Baroque Violin Shop has the best and one of the biggest rental programs in the country. Although we re based in Cincinnati, we serve all 50 states through online sales and rentals, and our local reps. We don’t believe in renting low quality instruments, but it’s our goal to make it affordable for any student to rent from us. Instead of offering different levels…
Jesus In Baroque Art 17th-18th Century Baroque art was an art period during the 17th century and mid-18th century. Baroque art was characterised with drama, rich colours and chiaroscuro. Chiaroscuro is defined as the use of exaggerated light contrasts in order to create the illusion of volume . Chiaroscuro was a distinct feature of Baroque art. It was used to…