EarlyMusicNews.Org

Fans of early music don’t need an introduction of Claudio Monteverdi. For a long time, he was known for the first unsurpassed highlights of the early Western opera. Yet, his operas did not raise eyebrows, his madrigal bundles did. An example: in the foreword of his fifth Madrigal bundle, we read the discussion between Artusi and Monteverdi whether or not to use the new monidistic style.

“Live music blended with astronomy?

Not usually, but a great fit Sunday afternoon at the Registry Theatre when Nota Bene Period Orchestra (local Baroque music ensemble under the leadership of Borys Medicky) and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Kitchener-Waterloo chapter) teamed up to present a most unusual performance — part concert, part lecture, part visual display.

“EXHIBITION - The Greenwich Exhibition of Early Musical Instruments is the largest Early Music Exhibition of its kind! A wide cross-section of early instrument makers from around the globe, shops, music publishers, societies, recording companies and early music forums all gathered under one roof.

(The Boston Globe) 
“Taking piano lessons at the Longy School in the early 1960s, Diane Goetz was certainly no stranger to the music of centuries past. Then she met Frank Hubbard, a craftsman who with his friend William Dowd was spurring a revival of the harpsichord.

The International Competition of Wassenaer is the world's leading and oldest competition for early music ensembles. The competition has succeeded for over 20 years in young, ambitious ensembles support towards the concert stage. With top musicians in the international jury at the program and the competition has become a festival, with competitions, concerts, master classes and more.

The complete results of the 15th International Competition of Wassenaer 2009:

“This is video # 400 !!! Hope you'll enjoy it. Lute made by Stephen Murphy“ Visit YouTube to view the more than 400 videos of Valéry Sauvage playing lute:  YouTube #400

“Real Chopin: The Complete Works of Fryderyk Chopin on historical instruments is a project realised on historical instruments from Chopin's times: pianos by Erard (Paris, 1849) and Pleyel (Paris, 1848). 

“In 1845, Abel Siccama submitted a patent illustrating 4 different flutes.  One of them was the flute with which his name is now linked, although he at first called it the  Diatonic.  Thousands of these have been made by Siccama and other makers, assuring him of a permanent place in flute history. 

While unclear if period organs do exist in the collection at the newly formed Chinese Museum, the existence of such an institution may prove interesting to our readership. 

“ XIAMEN, Fujian Province -- Two giant pipe organs have made the journey of thousands of miles from an English church and an American city to a small Chinese island, where locals can now enjoy "the sound of heaven". 

Renaissance singer-composers of Picardy
Odhecaton – Paolo Da Col (direction)

“Between about 1400 and 1550, musical life in Europe was dominated by five generations of musicians born and formed in a well-defined geographical area generally described by musicologists as franco-flemish.

Traverso, the international newsletter of historical flutes and flute-playing, celebrates its twentieth anniversary by reprinting the entire run of back issues in Volumes 11-20.

“ABC Classic FM, with the support of ABC Radio Development, commissioned four Australian composers to create new solo works for lute, and commissioned master Australian lutenist Tommie Andersson to work with the composers to bring these new works into being. ..“

Visit website for more information and streaming videos: ABC Classic FM

“Oct. 12 (Bloomberg) -- A flute that once belonged to Frederick the Great was played in concert for the first time in 250 years last Saturday.

DanceBooks.co.uk announce the availability of “For historical dance enthusiasts we have a reprint of John Essex's translation of Feuillet's 'For the further improvement of dancing' “

Visit site for more information: DanceBooks (Early Dance Section)

Paraty Label announce the newly pressed CD of fortepianist Natalia Valentin “Beethoven Rodos & Bagatelles” performed on a XVIIIth century German fortepiano (anonymous maker) restored Christopher Clarke. 

Visit either of these websites for more information and video/sound excerpts: Paraty Label or Natalia Valentin

“BEMF Orchestra opens the 09-10 season in Versailles with program by Rameau and Lully

On Friday, September 25, 2009, the BEMF Orchestra, under the leadership of Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs, made its European début as the first concert on the 2009-2010 season presented by the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles (CMBV), one of the most celebrated and prestigious venues for period performance in Europe.  The grandeur of the historic Manège de la Grande Ecurie of the Palace of Versailles provided the perfect backdrop for this nearly sold-out concert of music by Jean-Philippe Rameau and Jean-Baptiste Lully with guest soprano Carolyn Sampson (star of our 2007 Festival opera and subsequent Grammy-nominated recording, Psyché by Lully).  

Ars Hispana is a project dedicated to the recovery of the Spanish musical patrimony through the publication of studies and work editions, mainly unpublished, composed from 16th to 19th centuries

David van Ooijen, lutenist, has made some Lute lessons available on YouTube. Follow the following link to view the more than 20 lessons here:

 YouTube Lute lessons

A collection of traditional French dance tunes from the Morvan region of France.

The first edition sold out some time ago, but the 2nd edition, published by “Mally's Traditional Music Store” is now available.

Visit  website for more information: HurdyGurdy.biz (under “Tunebook”)

Hochschule Trossingen (the largest Early Music department in Germany) is accepting applications for the "Atelier for Early Music 2009" Masterclasses untill September 4, 2009. This short but intensive workshop is a great opportunity to meet teachers, explore the comprehensive facilities, play upon a first-rate collection of early instruments, and become inspired once again with music.

The newsletter from “Festes de Thalie et d’Orpheon” informs of their upcoming Festival and Workshop series for April 2010.

An interesting article on Peter Sykes (Cambridge, MA, USA) and his instrument collection published in the Boston Globe.

Follow this link to view the article: Peter Sykes (Boston Globe)

CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT
Saturday, October 31st 2009
Basilica di San Pietro
Borgo XX giugno, Perugia (Italy)
6 p.m.

Giuseppe Schinaia, organ and harpsichord
Free admission

Giuseppe Schinaia, Harpsichord
(October 4, 2009 at 3 pm)

First Presbyterian Church
6400, Kimbark Ave
Chicago IL

“Commemorating the 500th anniversary of Antonio de Cabezón's birth, the 10th International Symposium on Spanish Keyboard Music “Diego Fernández” will be held in the Parador of Mojácar, Almería, Andalusia, from 8 th through 10 th October 2010, as part of FIMTE 2010: the 11th International Festival of Spanish Keyboard Music. The festival shall feature both mainstream and fringe concerts as well as various courses and exhibitions.