Looking for ancient voices from his native Ecuador, Felipe Ledesma Núñez turned to ceramics and the sounds of his ancestors. He sees a problem in the humanities, ‘that we are privileging the written word. And those kinds of systems are ill-suited: They cannot carry sound.’
Hear the Ancestors Sing Read More »
Raphaël Pichon and his award-winning Pygmalion ensemble move from strength to strength. Their latest is a period-instrument Brahms ‘A German Requiem’ that’s among the best sung and most rewarding versions available.
Brahms Requiem on Period Instruments, Evoking Schütz Read More »
On the hills outside Florence sits the convent of San Matteo in Arcetri, where nuns once supported themselves by spinning wool and making wine. But the heart of their lives was musical prayer. A bit of detective work connected two 16th c. nuns with a musical manuscript and, now, a glorious new recording.
Musica Secreta’s Record of Love Read More »
Baroque violinist Danqi Zeng, born in China and currently a doctoral student at Indiana Univ., won the 2025 Barbash J.S. Bach Competition. The prize includes $10,000 and at least five concert engagements in the coming seasons. ‘Zeng’s Bach spoke profoundly,’ remarked one juror, ‘and with an immediacy made more palpable by the unforced resonance of her Baroque instrument.’
Baroque Violinist Wins Barbash Bach Competition Read More »
Stuck on sloppy handwriting from the 17th century, a musician recently turned to artificial intelligence to help solve a motet’s textual problems. Despite many negative impressions, ‘the process of exploring ChatGPT opened my eyes to its potential’ as a valuable research partner.
Can AI Decipher a Manuscript Better than You? Read More »
