EarlyMusicNews.Org

Songs of Our Roots

"The NGO Association "Early Music in Jaroslaw" was founded in 1995. The aim of the Association is to spread early and traditional culture, mostly in the environment of Jaroslaw. Major part of the Association's mambers are the young people who are particularly interested in developing profound understanding of tradition. Popularising of early music is the principle of the whole year's activity of Association comprising of organising concerts and workshops as well as preparing, organising and realising the Jaroslaw Early Music Festival "Song of Our Roots". ...

Summer Festivities of Early Music

"International Music Festival Summer Festivities of Early Music aims to enrich the cultural life of our time by performin music from past centuries. Initiates search of songs that so far have remained outside our horizon, or are not of such attention, what would deserve. ...

"The International EARLYMUSIC Festival, established in St Petersburg in 1998, is now recognised as o­ne of Russia’s leading musical forums. The Festival takes places annually in September-October and presents the musical legacy of the Middle-Ages, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras to audiences in St Petersburg, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk, performed by world-renowned ensembles and soloists. ...

"This year’s programme of Seviqc Brežice, which comprises the Brežice Festival, Klasikaa Dolenjska and Klasikaa Slovenija, will run from 4 July to 23 August 2008. The partner country for 2008 is France. Seviqc Brežice provides a showcase this year for more than 50 concert events in Slovenia, Croatia and Italy; in Slovenia, 44 festival events will be hosted in 17 different municipalities at 35 historic locations.

Since this year’s partner country is France, special emphasis will be o­n French artistes, who will feature in 12 concerts. We also anticipate the young, 10-piece Cuban group Ensemble Ars Longa, plus performers from Russia, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Poland, Croatia, Belgium and Slovenia. ...

After almost 3 years in the writing  composer and harpsichordist Grant Colburn has completed his newest book of period harpsichord music which will be titled, "Setts or Suits of Lessons for the Harpsicord or Spinnet."  This book is inspired by the English keyboard composers of 1720's, being somewhere between the musical styles of William Croft and Thomas Roseingrave. Grant Colburn has been a contributor to Early Music America Magazine and performed his harpsichord works at last year's Boston Early Music Festival. ...

Historical Metallurgy Societly Annual Conference 2008: Metals in Musical Instruments, 12th-14th September, Oxford, UK

"The conference will be based in the Holywell Music Rooms, the oldest surviving purpose built concert hall in Europe. The Holywell Music Rooms, which are attached to Wadham College, were built in 1748 and Handel is among the many famous musicians and composers who have appeared here.

Two concerts will be given in association with the HMS Conference "Metals in Musical Instruments".  Both will be held in the Holywell Music Room, Holywell Street, Oxford.  Tickets at £8 each, or £14 for both concerts, are available from Tickets Oxford, Tel 01865 305305 or o­nline at www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxford.

• The first concert, o­n Friday 12 September 2008 at 7.30pm, is introduced with a talk about the Music Room by John Melvin, and features a Harpsichord Recital and talk by Steven Devine.

• The second concert, o­n Saturday 13 September 2008 at 7.45 pm, features a Brass Concert and talk by Crispian Steele-Perkins, accompanied by Steven Devine. ...

November 13–16, 2008

July 14 – 19, 2008 
"In preparation for Haydn Year 2009, this year's Summer Academy focuses o­n small and large scale instrumental works by the genius and his contemporaries. From the single Sonata for Piano and Violin, the solo concertos to o­ne of the late symphonies, the unbelievably colourful creations of themaster offer a wealth of material. A programme for the official closing concert with chamber and orchestral music will be prepared during the course week. There will also be dance training and training in body posture; this will provide an enriching element to the course by improving understanding of Haydn's music as well as the ability to cope with instrumental challenges. ...

"At last the International early music course comes to its 10th edition, this time offering students the opportunity to study with some of the finest musicians of early music in the world, to enjoy great concerts and exhibitions of instrument makers and music editors. Moreover this year we are proud to host the world-renowned French harpsichordist Pierre Hantaï. From the first time since its beginning the course will take place in the town of Romano Canavese, a place full of history and culture, that will reveal its hidden treasures and historical buildings to students and teachers. ...

"(June 29 2008)
Dear Friends of IMSLP, Former Users, Contributors and Supporters:

Some people have doubted that we would keep our word. Some people have questioned our competence. Some people have sworn, despite being sympathetic, that IMSLP was struck down o­nce and forever.

I am here to prove them wrong.

It is with great joy that I bring you news of the resurrection of IMSLP. We continue to believe that the access to our culture and the Arts is a fundamental right of every human being. And holding this belief, we continue in our journey towards the goals of providing public access to the musical public domain, and the facilitation of the study of music, the understanding of music, and the enjoyment of music. ...

The Harpsichord: solo and accompaniment instrument
Differences and similarities between solo repertoire and basso continuo practice in 18th Century harpsichord music

Coach: Marco Vitale ...

This was mentioned o­n some discussion lists where a giant "harpsichord" stage was constructed for the production of "La Dirindina". The selection is from YouTube. Enjoy.

Musici Infaticabili, or the Indefatigable Musicians, lived up to their name when, after weeks of preparation and two elimination rounds, they took First Prize (£800) in the Finals of the Early Keyboard Ensemble Competition at Fenton House held o­n 29th May. The members of the group, Marta Goncalves (flute), Claire Bracher (viola da gamba) and Erik Dippenaar (harpsichord), impressed the jury of early music specialists with their sensitive and stylish rendition of an 18th century French suite. Audiences will be able to hear this gifted young trio perform again at a celebratory Gala Concert to be held at 8pm o­n Thursday August 14th. The Competition was the first of its kind to be held before an audience in this 17th century National Trust House. Finals Night featured the five groups that the jury had previously selected from a field of 12 in the first round and all used an 18th century English harpsichord from the Benton Fletcher Collection for their auditions. The Competition’s Audience Prize (£200) was awarded following a ballot, to the charismatic musicians of The Little Baroque Company (Helen Kruger, violin; Kinga Gábor Jáni-Szabó, cello; Laura Tivendale, harpsichord). ...

This course will study in depth the repertory of some of the forty-four Latin Motets contained in the Bamberg Codex (Bamberg, Staatl. Libr. Ed. IV. 6), a parchment paper manuscript of probable Parisian compilation, which goes back to the last quarter of the 13th Century. Beyond the richness of its musical material, the Codex is particularly interesting from the point of view of its notation. This notation is particularly homogeneous due to the fact that it was entrusted to a single scrivener, and thus has all the characteristics of the so-called modal notation but with a series of revisions which make it easier to decipher and which allow, today, a direct reading without particular difficulties
....

"Come be a part of o­ne of the world's most exciting celebrations of early music! Experience 16th-century Florentine art at its most spectacular with the American premiere of Alessandro Striggio's Missa sopra Ecco sì beato giorno for 40 and 60 voices, the largest known contrapuntal choral work in Western music.  ...

Friday, 30th May 2008, at 8pm in The Great Hall of Farnham Castle

The Revolutionary Drawing Room
Adrian Butterfield, Violin
Jean Paterson, Violin
Rachel Stott, Viola
Ruth Alford, Cello

Haydn Quartet in F minor Op.20 No.5
Haydn Quartet in C major Op.74 No.1
Mendelssohn Quartet in E flat major Op.12

SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
HARPSICHORD WORKSHOP XVIII
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
JULY 27-AUGUST 1, 2008

LEGACIES: LANDOWSKA, O'KEEFFE
CENTENARY: HUGO DISTLER
REPERTORY STUDIES: BACH, SCARLATTI, DUPHLY

JANE CLARK and STEPHEN DODGSON (London)
LINDA RANEY and PAUL WOLFE (Santa Fe): Repertoire and Lectures
GLENN SPRING (Denver): Commissioned Harpsichord Work
LARRY PALMER (Dallas): Director and Master Classes

Join us in "the Land of Enchantment" for stimulating musical experiences, including the American premiere of Stephen Dodgson's Carillon Concertante (2 harpsichords and strings), the world premiere of Glenn Spring's harpsichord work based o­n photographs of Georgia O'Keeffe, Paul Wolfe's reminiscences of lessons with Wanda Landowska, and Linda Raney's look at some special organ repertoire.

We are proud to announce you the tenth edition of the International Gregorian Festival of Watou. It will be held from 20 May until 24 May 2009. This is the Ascension weekend. ...

Red Priest is o­ne of the major success stories o­n the international early music scene today. ...

"The Western Early Keyboard Association (WEKA) will present a o­ne-day conference (10 am - 4:30 pm) as part of the Berkeley Festival and Exhibition o­n June 8, 2008, at  MusicSources, 1000 The Alameda, Berkeley, California.

Registration (including lunch) is free for WEKA members and $45  (including lunch) for non-WEKA members; for seniors over 65 the fee is $35 and for students $25. 2008 ­ 2009 membership dues are due June 1. Dues are: regular - $45, senior over 65 - $35, and students $25. WEKA dues may be sent directly to Sandy Petty at MusicSources. When sending membership dues, please indicate if you will attend the June 8 conference. ...

The BURG FÜRSTENECK Academy (Hesse, Germany) is starting a wordwide unique vocational training for musicians in medieval music. It will begin in October 2008 and will include 12 meetings of three days each within two years. Lecturers are Marc Lewon and Uri Smilansky. ...

"About politics and power in English early music!?

To what extent did music lend its voice to political and cultural ideas of its time? How did composers react to the permanently changing relations between art, politics and society? Or, how did political and religious rulers manage to involve composers in the organised spreading of their ideals?

The 2008 edition of the Festival of Flanders - Bruges, Musica Antiqua - from now o­n MAfestival - focuses o­n some of the political aspects of early music in England. What was it that incited a prominent member of the Royal Chapel like William Byrd to compose almost 200 works in Latin, including several catholic masses, at a time when the Reformation of Queen Elisabeth did forbid it? What was the hidden agenda of Thomas Morley when he composed his Oriana madrigals? 'Long live Elisabeth'? Or indeed 'au contraire'? How did John Blow succeed, at the dawn of the English opera, to insert his Venus & Adonis into the ideas of nation building? And what did Bach and Abel have in common with freemasonry? These and other political questions are to be found within the diversified offer of concerts the 45th edition of the festival is proposing. ...