The festival will mark its 50th-anniversary season with a host of enticing programs. “If music be the food of love, play on,” begins the most famous opening speech in Shakespeare. […]
Indianapolis Early Music Goes Gold Read More »
A recent press trip to Israel piqued my interest in that fascinating country’s early-music scene. Israel is at once ancient and new, like so much of what we are trying
The admired a cappella ensemble bids the world farewell after three decades of radiant artistry. Sunday morning, August 3, 1986. The Upper West Side of Manhattan had been deserted by
Anonymous 4: Appearing and Disappearing Read More »
Conductors with roots in early music are taking their expertise to symphony orchestras. There was a time, not so long ago, when modern performers tended to be wary of the
Spreading the Gospel: Period Style for Modern Performers Read More »
Many people think a peace treaty was signed after the vibrato wars of the 1970s, when the plush string textures of the modern symphony orchestra were challenged by the leaner sound of historical instruments. Eliminating vibrato, along with playing on gut strings, was the most noticeable mark of historically informed performance style. Before it was even called HIP, employing “authentic instruments” set early-music players apart from symphony orchestras, and singing with a pristine, boy-like sound marked a new vocal coloring.
