Music, much of it performed by military bands, is inextricably linked to the mythology of the American Revolution. Yet one of early America’s most popular musical ensembles, the regimental band, has been obscured from the late 18th-c. soundscape.
Serenading the Revolution: Regimental Bands of Music Read More »
A scholar of American musical history reflects on ‘Niagara,’ an obscure symphony that connects centuries of our nation’s cultural life, proving once again that the only thing fixed about American musical identity is that it remains in a constant state of flux.
‘Niagara’ and America’s Musical Heritage Read More »
‘That raises the question of what we’re doing when we study all those treatises and try to play like Couperin. Probably not everybody sounded like Couperin in Couperin’s day, or wanted to. And maybe we don’t actually want to sound like Couperin, either — we want to sound like a plausible, tasteful, expressive but individual performer.’
Musings: Play It With Style Read More »
Gabriela Guadalajara is perhaps NYC’s only luthier who works exclusively on period instruments. In a brilliantly devised partnership, she is helping bring Baroque instrument-making techniques to Latin America.
Life Lessons from a Luthier Read More »
Brace yourself for tri-cornered hats and fife-and-drum renditions of ‘Yankee Doodle.’ Nostalgia aside, America250 is an opportunity to reflect on the broader trajectories of our musical heritage. We lose something profound if this moment is nothing more than a self-congratulatory celebration.
America250: A Braided Tale in Music Read More »
