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 »
From the Executive Director: Early music suffered another painful blow when the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra lost its university funding. But if we want to keep historical performance alive, we have to think bigger than just protecting individual programs at the collegiate level, and, for nonprofit ensembles, think bigger than just fighting for our own little slice of pie.
The rise of public concerts in the 1720s and ’30s was in indicator of social innovations that would come to the fore during the American Revolution. Remarkably, colonial America produced musicians and paying audiences needed for public concerts not long after the trend started in Europe. But not everyone on our shores approved.
A Monster in This Part of the World Read More »
The New York Baroque Dance Co. and its co-founder, Catherine Turocy, celebrate a half-century of bringing historical dance to stages across America and Europe. They’ve set the high standard for Baroque dance performed in the U.S.
The New York Baroque Dance Company at 50 Read More »
Since our current early-music revival began in the mid-20th century, countertenors and mezzo-sopranos or contraltos have waged an undeclared war over which vocal type best replicates the great castrati voices of the 18th century. We look at several enduring recordings that spotlight this putative dispute.
From the Archive: Castrati, Contraltos, Countertenors Read More »
