Check out this fantastic new resource for Bach's cantata texts! I'm thrilled to know other people nerd out about the same things I do (Bach and German), and also maybe I can stop doing all my own translations now... 😜
Partimenti
Partimenti aren't just for keyboardists! Great vocal ornamentation comes from knowing what shapes fit the framework of the piece and knowing what harmonic progression the composer wanted. It also makes life easier when sight-reading... Check out more about partimenti from Early Music Sources!
Gareth Thomas
Want to program a piece but can't find a good score? Be sure to check out the work of my colleague Gareth Thomas!
Carlo G manuscript
If women *were* making music at a high level but men of the time didn't know about it, did it make a sound? In all seriousness, though, check out the amazing Carlo G manuscript in this video from Early Music Sources!
Chant fragments
My friend Anna de Bakker is working on a fantastic project to trace what happened to medieval chant books - check it out!
From scribe to choir to being repurposed over generations…
Ave Maria
Sang this glorious Ave Maria setting by Victoria yesterday and had to find a good recording to share (thanks to The Marian Consort!) What a nice change from the four-voice one!
Lo, how a Rose
After a week with True Concord singing "Lo, how a Rose" in 5 beautiful concerts, I had to share my favorite instrumental version from Praetorius' Dances from Terpsichore by Voices of Music!
CPE Bach - Heilig
Last weekend's phenomenal concerts with the Handel and Haydn Society included this fantastic piece by CPE Bach (sung by the Rheinische Kantorei in this recording)
Ornamentation in Monteverdi
Ornamentation - one of the most discussed topics in Early Music. How much? What type? Where? Here's an interesting discussion of those issues as they apply to Monteverdi!
Messiah: Fact or Fiction?
In honor of the return of Messiah Season, check out this fantastic article by the Handel and Haydn Society and come join us this coming weekend if you're in the Boston area!