It's the time of year when questions about Bach and anti-semitism (rightfully) swirl and answers are in short supply. By way of adding to the chaos, meet Sara Levy - a Jewish harpsichordist who studied with one of Bach's sons, was great-aunt to Felix Mendelssohn, and was instrumental in ensuring the legacy of the Bach family.
Mendelssohn's Bach Revival
Mendelssohn gets a lot of credit for reviving interest in the music of Bach. So... what did he actually do? And what does that mean for the rest of us who try to revive music from hundreds of years ago?
Tye Peterhouse Mass
How about some juicy English polyphony for this snowy Monday?
Bach - Badinerie
One of Michael's books plays snippets of several pieces by J.S. Bach (because of course it does). This one always gets him off his feet and dancing!
Ave Maria - Mouton
I came across this gorgeous piece by Jean Mouton last week, and it was just what this Monday needed.
Reconstructing Music
Have you ever wondered what happens when certain parts of a piece of music are lost? Check out this fantastic explanation from Early Music Sources, and remember the most important part: "... a reconstructor should have skills similar to those a composer from the relevant period would have had."
Niche Humor
Matthew: “Now here’s some very niche humor…”
Me: “Oh! Send it to me!”
Matthew: “For #EarlyMusicMonday ?”
Access
This Early Music Monday let's take a minute to think about access. Who gets to come to Early Music concerts? Who gets to learn about music in school (without paying extra)? Who gets to study music? Who gets hired to perform? What composers are being programmed? Which composers had the connections and reputation to have their works published? Who might be missing from those scenarios? Let's all continue asking these questions (and acting on the answers) so the world of the concert hall can reflect the beauty and diversity of the world around us.
Baroque trumpet
It's been a while since I did a post about an early instrument, so here's an explanation (and comparison) of the baroque trumpet!
The Weird Music of Anton Reicha
Friend of Beethoven, teacher of Berlioz and Liszt, and composer of seriously cool (and weird) etudes! Meet Anton Reicha!