EarlyMusicNews.Org

“The Society for the Study of Early Modern Women is a network of scholars who meet annually, sponsor sessions at conferences, maintain a listserv and website, give awards for outstanding scholarship, and support one another's work in the field.

EMW welcomes scholars and teachers from any discipline who study women and their contributions to the cultural, political, economic, or social spheres of the early modern period and whose interest in it includes attention to gender and representations of women.“

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Added on: Feb 13, 2010 | Hits: 239

“The Age of Philosophy saw a surge of interest in empirical science, humanistic inquiry, and cosmopolitan societies. It also witnessed a surprising fascination with ancient mythologies, alchemy, divine arcana, and secret societies. Did this dark side of the Enlightenment have anything in common with the rational undertakings of the day, or was it a remnant from times past? This digital archive will allow students and scholars to explore the strange, yet uncannily familiar, writings of French authors who went beyond John Locke's famed "limits of human understanding," in order to investigate the mysterious perimeters of knowledge - but often progressed with the same wit and epistemological concerns as Parisian philosophes. The ideas and practices of these writers (often dismissed as "illuminist") may thus best be understood as constituting a sort of "Super-Enlightenment," a category which begs a larger, open question: did the more orthodox Enlightenment thinkers ever cross over to the other side themselves?”

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Added on: Dec 02, 2011 | Hits: 239

“A strong interest in early music, paralleled with a steadily growing contemporary repertoire, has given the recorder a completely different dimension over the last 50 years. The international image of both styles, in combination with a real professionalism in pedagogical fields, have challenged aspiring recorder players ever since. This period of development has seen the recorder (blockflute) programmed as a solo and chamber instrument in specialized contemporary festivals all over the world. It is a recognized and appealing instrument for composers of all styles, not only because of the wide range of instrument-types, but mainly because of the great abilities and flexibility of the professional player.

Insight into this enormous variety of literature, supported by solid and profound background information, and above all, a highly professional instrumental education, is what the so-called BLOK system offers to serious and motivated recorder students. Besides further digging into historical and traditional subjects, a thorough exploration of contemporary literature and techniques is of major importance.

The BLOK (block) was founded in the 70's by Walter van Hauwe and Kees Boeke and has become a conception for numerous recorder players around the world. From the very beginning the BLOK attracted students from all over the world and it typically contains about 10 nationalities every year. Having studied in Amsterdam seems for many students to be a guarantee for becoming recognized professionals, and many of them have since managed a good and satisfying living as professional and successful recorder players.“

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 244

“The Society for Musicology in Ireland was established in 2003 to promote and foster musical scholarship in all its forms throughout Ireland, north and south. It provides a forum for everyone interested in musicology, whether professional, academic, postgraduate or undergraduate student, or just with an interest in the study of music.

The Society for Musicology in Ireland (SMI) has been established to promote and foster musical scholarship in all its forms. The Society seeks to provide a forum for the practice of musicology which reflects the gamut of musical research in Ireland, including ethnomusicology, historical musicology, analysis, performance practice, textual criticism, archival research, organology music technology, cultural and social history and critical discourse, to name some of the disciplines pursued by musicologists in this country. ..“

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Added on: Jun 20, 2010 | Hits: 251

“The Centro Studi Opera omnia Luigi Boccherini (Onlus) of Lucca was established in November 2005 to carry out the editorial work relating to the complete works of the lucchese composer Luigi Boccherini. The choice of Lucca as a location is not by chance: Luigi Boccherini was born in Lucca, so it is the natural site on which to launch the Italian National Edition of Luigi Boccherini's Complete Works. The Centro Studi also hosts the work of the Italian National Edition of the Opera omnia of Pietro Antonio Locatelli and the musicological series Speculum Musicae, Studies on Italian Music History and Monumenta Musica Europea. Furthermore, the staff of the Centro Studi carry out the scientific and editorial work of numerous international musicological publications, including Boccherini Studies, offering the definitive record of international scholarly debate on the composer, and, together with other musicologists, the journal Ad Parnassum. A Journal of Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Instrumental Music, and the series Ad Parnassum Studies. The Centro Studi Opera Omnia Luigi Boccherini organizes International Conferences and Symposia on various musicological topics and has founded the Boccherini Festival. The Centro Studi Opera omnia Luigi Boccherini-Onlus is a member of the Fondazione Promo P.A. di Lucca (www.promopa.it)”

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Added on: Dec 09, 2011 | Hits: 252

“Welcome to the Internet site of the Lyrica Society for Word-Music Relations, an independent academic and artistic organization which investigates and promotes the myriad of interactions between text and music. Lyrica was founded by Dr. Louis Auld, Professor of French Literature at Central Connecticut State University in 1981. Since then, it has grown to include nearly 500 members in North America, Europe, Turkey and Japan. After serving as Editor of our peer-reviewed journal, Ars Lyrica, and as Secretary-Treasurer for seventeen years, Professor Auld retired from those posts, but remains active as an advisor to the Society's Executive Board. Lyrica welcomes literary, musicological and performance-practice research into word-music issues crossing all historical periods, and enveloping all musical and literary genres and cultural frameworks. Chronologically through the academic calendar, the Society is present at the annual conventions of the American Musicological Society, the Modern Language Association, the National Association of Teachers for Singing, and the National Opera Association (alternating biennially), the Renaissance Society of America, and the American Comparative Literature Association, where our seminar explores a special topic each year.

Our annual Lyrica Dialogues at Harvard are held each spring. ..“

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Added on: Jun 18, 2010 | Hits: 253

“The Fryderyk Chopin Institute

The activities of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, which was established in 2001
on the basis of an act of the Polish Parliament, cover the following areas:

• research and popularization of knowledge about Chopin’s life and work,
• publications,
• organization of concerts, conferences, courses,
• cooperation with institutions and organizations dealing in the protection of the Chopin heritage,
• gathering of Chopin-related archive materials and museum objects,
• monitoring of whether Chopin’s image and name are not used for commercial purposes,
• running a Chopin Information Centre (Internet site)“

Added on: Nov 01, 2009 | Hits: 257

Musicologist in early music. Giulia Giovani holds a PhD is on Italian printed cantatas from 1620 to 1738. Main research topics: italian cantatas; history of printing and publishing in music.

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Added on: Oct 12, 2010 | Hits: 260

“The Gregorian Institute of Canada (GIC) undertakes research and education to promote the study and performance of Gregorian and other western chant repertoires in Canada.

Education:

• works with local churches of various denominations, with musicians and cantors, and with historians interested in medieval society.
• provides workshops, performances, and special study days encompassing the whole range of the Gregorian and other Western chant repertoire to develop the knowledge and teach the skills necessary to perform and critically appreciate monastic and secular chant in the western cultural tradition.
• organizes and runs ‘field-trips’ to parishes and monastic communities with living traditions of chant performance.

• supports and publishes research into the performance of various chant traditions, with a particular emphasis on current performance.

The Gregorian Institute of Canada is a not-for-profit corporation, licensed and authorized to provide official tax receipts for donations in support of its mission. Founded in 2004, GIC is a non-denominational association. GIC is affiliated with The School of the Arts, McMaster University.”

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Added on: May 07, 2011 | Hits: 266

“The Royal Dutch Society for Music (KVNM) is the national professional association for musicology. The KVNM existed since 1868 and is the oldest organization in the musicological world. The Association organizes seminars and publishes scientific works in the field of Dutch music. The biannual journal (TVNM) is authoritative and internationally.

This website provides information on activities, publications and history of the Association. You can also contact us, sign up as member and order publications.“ (Google Translate)

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Added on: May 05, 2010 | Hits: 281

Centre for the Study of the Fairground Theatres and the Comédie-Italienne

The Centre was created in 1999 by Françoise Rubellin, professor at the University of Nantes, following the international colloquium entitled “Les théâtres de la Foire 1678-1762”, with the support of two great specialists, Barry Russell from England (creator of the website foires.net) and David Trott from Canada, both deceased. The original project was to create a lasting link between researchers who were geographically dispersed, and to favour an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together theatre, music and dance: the Fairground plays are more show libretti than simple literary, textual objects.

Today, the Centre extends its research and its publications to the repertory of the Comédie-Italienne, having as a priority to edit manuscripts of plays that have never been re-edited, and to restore their musical dimension.

• The Centre is working on the publication of several plays still in manuscript versions only of the Fairground theatres and the Comédie-Italienne in the form of separate editions or of collections.
• The Centre is currently undertaking research on parodies of opera, with the support of the ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche), the Région Pays de la Loire and the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme Ange-Guépin.
• The Centre trains numerous students in research during their MA and PhD theses, and provides access for them to an important number of microfilms of unedited plays, as well as a specialised collection of documents.
• The members of the Centre (PhD candidates and MA students included) publish articles and present papers in colloquia in France and abroad.
• The Centre actively collaborates with specialised researchers in the field of Fairground theatres and the Comédie-Italienne in France and abroad (Italy, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, etc.).
• The Centre works in partnership with several cultural structures dedicated to music and theatre, in Nantes and in the region Pays de la Loire (Angers Nantes Opéra, Le Grand T, La Folle Journée of the CRÉA) as well as with ensembles (Hugo Reyne’s Simphonie du Marais) and troupes (Thierry Pillon’s L’Éternel Éphémère, Chantal David’s Bel Viaggio). With them, we put into place activities for communication, creation and research development.
• The Centre has organised, for over ten years, a monthly seminar, study days and colloquia.

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Added on: Dec 03, 2011 | Hits: 284

“Research and Performance of Historical Arts and Culture“

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Added on: May 11, 2009 | Hits: 289

“These pages have been written to explain a quaint aspect of French musical life under the reign of Louis XV. The hurdy-gurdy (Vielle à roue), which so far had been customarily an instrument used by beggars playing on streets corners (lira mendicorum), unexpectedly became the object of a sudden and powerful enthusiasm. From 1725 to 1765, with more than two hundred published pieces of music, it invaded the world of aristocracy and even conquered the royal family. In this study, we are making an attempt to understand the reasons for that sudden and ephemeral passion.

Our thesis is that the hurdy-gurdy became an instrument destined to serve the myth of Arcadia, commonly believed in during that period of time, by representing the image of the idealized countryman, a central character of the eighteenth century, with whom "personnes de qualité" tried to identify themselves. In order to remove and purify it from any memory of its association with beggars and to make it become the Lyre of Apollo, the manufacture, the playing, the repertory of the hurdy-gurdy had to be completely transformed. The challenge was also to promote an idealized country life so as to make the hurdy-gurdy an instrument worthy to enter the Pantheon of the noble instruments of the aristocrats. As to the repertory, is it possible to say that the hurdy-gurdy is suitable for any high-level music score? Or rather should we say that it could serve only the country repertory, which is then to be defined as music of a rustic and popular style, even though completely transformed by the highly technical task of adjusting music to the baroque taste, which we call "Baroquisation"

Let us add that we worked within the interdisciplinary framework not only of Musicology (by the study of performance techniques and repertory analysis), but also of Psychoanalysis, Mythology and sociology. ..“

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Added on: Jul 28, 2009 | Hits: 292

“Since 1954, the Renaissance Society of America has been the leading organization in the Americas for the interdisciplinary study of the period 1300-1650 in Western history. The RSA brings together members from many backgrounds who are interested in a wide variety of disciplines related to this period.

The RSA actively encourages the continued spread of learning about the Renaissance. The Society organizes an annual meeting every year, which features the most distinguished Renaissance scholars in North America and beyond. The Society further encourages scholarship by offering prizes and research grants of up to $3,000 in three categories (pre-doctoral scholars, junior scholars, and senior scholars).

The RSA sponsors many publications. The Society publishes the journal Renaissance Quarterly, its electronic counterpart, the online edition of Renaissance Quarterly, and the newsletter Renaissance News & Notes. The RSA also sponsors its own text, bibliography, and special purpose series (RTS), a reprint series (RSARTS), and the program of the annual meeting with abstracts of all the papers, and subsidizes editions, translations, and research tools published outside the RSA series. The RSA's Directory of members is available on this website. Finally, through its partnership with Iter: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the RSA helps to make access to information about Renaissance scholarship broadly accessible.“

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Added on: May 14, 2010 | Hits: 297

“Patrick Ayrton has always had a passion for keyboard instruments, first the piano, then the organ and the harpsichord. He studied with François Demierre in Switzerland, with Alfred Mitterhofer at the Vienna Academy, in Austria, where he obtained his virtuosity diploma "cum laude", before specialising with Ton Koopman at The Hague conservatory. Patrick Ayrton was a prizewinner at the organ competitions in Innsbruck (1983) and in Bruges (1985).

He has since been invited by leading ensembles, such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orlando Vocal Ensemble of Fribourg (Switzerland), the London Royal Choral Society and Brandenburg Consort, as well as the Amsterdam Combattimento Consort. In France, he is a regular guest with the Orchestre d'Auvergne, whose musical director, Arie van Beek, has encouraged him to develop his conducting skills and entrusted him with the direction of several programmes.

Though born in London, Patrick Ayrton has now settled in Burgundy, near Chalon-sur-Saône, with his family. In recent years, he has become increasingly involved in French musical life. Among other engagements, he is the artistic director of the festival "Bach en Combrailles" in Auvergne.

Patrick is also an active pedagogue, teaching harpsichord, continuo and chamber music at The Hague Conservatory, in the Netherlands. He gives masterclasses in Russia (the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the Gnessin School) and in Austria (the Summer Academy of the Salzburg Mozarteum). His recordings are published by the Dutch label Globe.

In 2004 he founded Ars Burgundiae, with a view to rehabilitating the works of Joseph Touchemoulin.“

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Added on: Jul 06, 2009 | Hits: 300

• Ranked consistently in the top 5 English departments in British Universities (see University Guide 2011)
• An internationally diverse and vibrant cohort of expert staff
• Ranked third in The Guardian's teaching quality table in 2011
• A major base for research into comparative literary studies and offers distinctive and imaginative programmes of study at both undergraduate and postgraduate level
• Scored a 100% at 4* (highest possible) rating for the department's 'Environment and Esteem' in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise
• Established strengths in comparative European literatures, medieval and early modern studies, eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth-century literature, Romanticism, literature and gender, and literary and cultural theory
• More recent areas of focus include colonial and postcolonial studies, world literature, drama and performance, and contemporary writing
• Home to the Warwick Writing Programme, the largest and most comprehensive of its type in Europe

Added on: May 16, 2011 | Hits: 305

Headquartered in Geneva, the foundation "La Ménestrandie" is born of the last wishes of Helen Teysseire-Vuilleumier who wanted an institution bearing the name inherited from her collection of historical musical instruments, its library and its wealth so that her commitment to early music throughout her life is to be pursued through this institution.

Officials of the foundation are now trying to continue the work of Helen Teysseire, acquiring new instruments, restoring others and holding, each spring, concerts of early music in which several instruments from the collection are highlighted.

"La Ménestrandie" is a member of GEFAM (Gesellschaft der Freunde alter Musikinstrumente, Zurich) www.gefam.ch.

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Added on: Jan 16, 2011 | Hits: 308

“The Venice School of Early Music
(Scuola di Musica Antica di venezia, SMAV) is a non-profit organisation created in 1991 to promote the study of early music. It is the only school in Venice devoted to early music.

The main activity of the school is the organisation of specialist courses in early music performing techniques.

Besides its didactic activities SMAV also organises Early Music festivals, concerts and recordings: it was responsible for the International Festival of Early Music in Venice, in 1992 and 1994; from 1999 ito 2007 it has taken part every year in the Venezia Suona - Festa Europea della Musica; since 1997 it has been organizing every friday and saturday a series of concerts entitled Il Concertino in famiglia in association with the Querini Stampalia Foundation (more than 1000 concerts in twelve years).

In 1996 the teachers of the school recorded the CD La musica del Tiepolo (venetian music at the time of the painter Giambattista Tiepolo)
SMAV published the musical guide-book Venezia, i luoghi della musica (1995) by Aldo Bova, and I balli di Gaetano Grossatesta (2002), essaies on a recently discovered manuscript of Venetian Baroque dance.

SMAV promotes exchange projects with other associations and instutions: teachers of the school were invited to teach at the Conseravtories of Zwolle (Netherland), Potenza (Italy) and the universities of Graz (Austria) and Cremona (Italy). SMAV has been partner of MediMuses project, supported by the European Union. “ Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 22, 2009 | Hits: 312

“Main research topics: music iconography; history of the lute and its music; historical and biographical reconstructions.“

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Added on: May 18, 2009 | Hits: 312

“IBMP is a non-profit organization to which anyone can join after payment of the annual social. With the support of the Culture of Regione Piemonte, Fondazione CRT and Compagnia di San Paolo performs work of promoting studies, research and documentation, publications and recordings related to culture and the musical culture of Piedmont. Organizes exhibitions, conferences, conventions, concerts. It also proposes to undertake an inventory, indexing and cataloging of bibliographic music of the Piedmont Region understanding both in the geographical sense and in its current broader sense of history.“ (Google Translate)

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Added on: Jun 10, 2010 | Hits: 312

“The Academy of Ancient Music in Rovereto, founded in 1979, has been operating for over twenty five years in the region, nationally and internationally for the purpose of research, study and disseminate the music according to principles of historical accuracy, respecting the characteristics of the interpretation of the works and the sounds of musical instruments. This activity takes place through the organization of concerts, performances, conferences, exhibitions, publications, recordings, courses and competitions. The main feature of the Academy of Ancient Music is to directly produce much of this activity, through the commitment of its members: they comprise of academics, teachers and professional musicians, and a good part of advanced students and amateurs in musical practice.”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 317

"Founded in 1989, the center has involved over 300 people, local and from throughout the U.S., in its offerings. NWCEMS presents classes for musicians of all ability levels: singers and instrumentalists alike are welcome to explore the curriculum.

It is our goal to enhance the appreciation and enjoyment of early music through increased knowledge and skill. We believe our offerings will deepen our students' love for the music of these earlier periods. Join us as we re-discover early music.

The Northwest Center for Early Music Studies is a division of the Early Music Guild of Seattle. " The NWCEMS also offers some scholarship assistance. See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 26, 2008 | Hits: 336

"The Centro di Musica Antica Pietà de’ Turchini is the result of the decision of musicians, musicologists and historians of the theatre to pool their personal experiences in research and the performing arts, setting up an interdisciplinary project centred on the history of music and drama in Naples during the Baroque period. The premises of the Centro di Musica Antica are part of a complex of historical buildings (Convent and Church of Santa Caterina da Siena) once known as the Conservatorio della Solitaria. ...

Since 1996, the Centro di Musica Antica has been promoting a wide-ranging cultural project based on the recuperation of the vast musical heritage constituted in Naples during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. This involves identifying and studying the sources for that fertile period of musical and theatrical production, organising concert series featuring the repertoire, and holding seminars and masterclasses in advanced Baroque performance for young musicians and singers. To further its research activities the Centre has set up a proficuous collaboration with prestigious Italian and European institutions including University of Naples "Federico II", Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, Fundaciò La Caixa de Barcellona and Fondation Royaumont de Paris. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 12, 2008 | Hits: 336

“The Sixteenth Century Society and Conference (SCSC) is a scholarly society that is interested in the early modern era (ca. 1450-ca. 1660). Our geographical scope is as worldwide as our membership. The society welcomes scholars from all disciplines who have an interest in early modern studies. SCSC holds one annual meeting a year with approximately 140 sessions for papers. The annual meeting preferably and traditionally takes place on the last full weekend of October. ..“

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Added on: Feb 13, 2010 | Hits: 338

"At first sight La Folia already looks like an interesting building constructed quietly in the course of centuries on the foundations of earlier settlements. It's a great experience to see that the development of the numerous fascinating elements and delicate details is consuming composers, performers and listeners alike as an anchor in musical thought, like a cathedral built during centuries.

For those people who are interested in the folia theme there is a disturbing lack of good sources. The information available is very superficial and can only be found in very general reference works and review articles, apart from the scientifical study by Richard Hudson (see literature) which is only available at specialized conservatories and where the focus is on the transition of the early to the later folia. This website is an effort to collect as much relevant information as possible on la folia. Every contribution, be it a new line of approach, a suggestion or a discussion will be welcomed. Added to that it is almost impossible for one person to check all musical new releases for possible new variations of la folia.

This website was built in the hope that from every part of the world new discoveries will get their names here in the inventory, so that they will be part of a collective musical tradition and awareness.

Finally it serves as a tribute to the still growing organism called La Folia. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 14, 2008 | Hits: 342