Today's #EarlyMusicMonday
- dates back to the 1600s
- is frequently used as a basis for composers/arrangers
- has no authentic "original source"
- has a very specific style, best learned from those who have experience in it (rather than from books)
.... did you guess Black American spirituals?
Ever heard of a bajón? Meet the renaissance predecessor to the bassoon, also known as a dulcian or a curtal (depending on which country you were in). This instrument came in different sizes and was played in consorts, wind bands, and later as a continuo instrument!
One of my guilty pleasures is the Gabrieli album by the National Brass Ensemble. It may not be sackbuts and cornetti, but sometimes "early music" means playing in a stylish way no matter the instrument. And this recording is fantastic and there is no way anyone can have a bad day with this much trombone and tuba on a bass line. Can you tell I married a brass player?
Last week Teresa Wakim reminded me of this beautiful duet by Johann Schelle (one of my favorite pre-Bach German composers)!
My ear worm for the last week has been this fun piece by Juan de Araujo (Ruben warned us this would happen...). No matter what holiday you're celebrating this week, I hope there are lovely people, delicious food, and restorative naps!
Melody, melody, more melody, turnips, and cabbages! ... or, what came after the high Baroque (and Bach). Things had become too complex (apparently) so the pendulum swung back toward something simpler to listen to and understand. Early Music Sources explains how that worked!
While reading about music in convents in Italy I came across someone new! Meet Sulpitia Cesis!
In December of 2022 I sang Messiah choruses nine different times in 3 different places. I adored every minute of it. At the time, I was pregnant with Michael and while we knew we were having a boy, we hadn't told anyone yet. That year, "For unto us a child is born" held a special meaning for me - it was like my own little secret. Ever since, I've enjoyed singing "For unto us" and remembering that special year.
Check out this incredible resource on ornamentation! Primary and secondary sources, musical examples, and more!
Meet Tarquinia Molza: instrumentalist, singer, poet, composer, and scientist! After receiving the same education as her brothers, she studied astronomy and science, was involved with the Concerto delle donne and the courts in Mantua and Ferrara, and became the first woman given Roman citizenship in 1600! There also may (or may not) have been a thing with Giaches de Wert...