CD Review: The Lonely Life of Baroque Pastiche
It’s fascinating to see how artists responded to pandemic lockdowns. Violinist Martin Davids’ clever project takes Baroque pastiche into new realms, stitching together movements from various composers.
Timothy Olmsted, “the Mozart of America”
Timothy Olmsted found his voice as a fifer and bandsman in the Revolutionary War, and he would go on to pioneer musical freelancing in the young Republic.
CD Review: Masterful Music for Two
The Flanders Recorder Duo, exacting in technique and joyful in expression, explore two-part repertoire from across the centuries, going back to the 13th century and as fresh as a world premiere.
How the music of an ancient rock painting was brought to life
“Archaeologists spend a lot of time examining the remains of distant pasts, which includes the study of rock paintings. This is largely visual work – but sometimes we can “hear” the ancient past using acoustic methods.”
This 18,000-year-old shell is ‘oldest wind instrument of its kind’ – hear its haunting sound
The seashell’s music probably hadn’t been heard by humans for more than 17,000 years.
A Vivid New Life of Beethoven
Jan Caeyers’ expertise with both the social history of the composer’s world and the music of the period makes this an important addition to the Beethoven literature. Told with almost operatic drama, the book tells us much that we did not know, adding to our understanding and appreciation of this pivotal figure in musical history.
A New François Couperin Edition, of Music in a Life
With this new publication of François Couperin’s celebrated ‘Pièces de clavecin’ (Book III) together with his ‘Concerts royaux,’ we now have a chance to compare the keyboard composer with the chamber musician in a single volume. The introduction alone is invaluable scholarship on this period of the composer’s life and world.
EMA Announces 2022 Annual Award Recipients
The 2022 Annual Awards will be conferred during a special Awards Ceremony as part of the 2022 EMA Summit.
Peter Thacher and the Viol in Colonial Massachusetts
Massachusetts is full of lovingly preserved homes from the 17th century. But what did life in these homes sound like? The latest essay in ‘Early Music: the Americas’ explores the world of a Puritan reverend who left us tantalizing clues.
Why Did Medieval Cities Hire Street Musicians as First Responders?
In Germany, a minstrel was expected “to acquit himself well as a swordsman.” Surviving illustrations tend to emphasize the bulky, formidable aspect of these street performers. But why?