In 1759, five viols were stashed in a secret vault in Québec City. The viols’ journey tells us about Canada’s musical past, about how ‘ancient’ instruments are woven into the cultural fabric, and about narratives of early-music revivals.
The Curious History of the ‘Caveau’ Viols Read More »
The all-female Ospedali musicians have been hidden twice: once when performing in their own time and once behind Vivaldi in our time. Philadelphia’s Tempesta di Mare uncovers music by some of these long-neglected women musicians.
Hidden Virtuosas: the Women of Venice’s Ospedali Read More »
Early musicians often do wildly creative things with old music, and a really good arrangement can reveal qualities that were unheard in the original. Tina Chancey, with help from friends, gets deep into the weeds: ‘Even an extreme appropriation can work, but you have to own it.’
Good Musicians Borrow, Great Musicians Steal Read More »
As a teacher, administrator, director, and advocate, Jody Miller makes everything in a class or workshop run smoothly. For early music, he says, ‘we expect concertizing is the way we’re going to reach everybody. I want us to think of solutions that work for the type of music we’re dealing with.’
Pied Piper of the Southeast Read More »
Bach Collegium San Diego, led by Ruben Valenzuela, finds acclaim for their ‘El Mesías’ project, a translation of ‘Messiah’ into Spanish. And why not? Handel himself altered his music to adapt to new contexts and audiences.
El Mesías: Messiah for a New World Read More »
