What was the best way to be a female musician in 16th-17th-century Italy? What would give you stability, an education, and ensure your compositions and performances could be heard by the world? Become a nun! Early Music Sources explores what life was really like for musician-nuns in this great video!
Schütz: Auferstehung
What happens when you combine film and early music? This cool concept of Schütz' Resurrection cantata! Read the review and be sure to watch the video (embedded in the review).
Context
Early Music people constantly talk about context and how important it is to understand the circumstances surrounding the composition and performance of a piece of music. Not sure how to figure that out? Here’s a quick timeline of Medieval and Early Modern European history - comparing composer dates to this timeline is a great place to start! Definitely check out other timelines as well!
Pierre Alamire, Spy
Musicians throughout history have taken on extra jobs to make ends meet, but perhaps none quite as exciting as that of espionage! Meet Pierre Alamire (Peter van den Hove): a composer, copyist responsible for gathering some of the best works of the Franco-Flemish school, and spy!
A Ground Bass AND Polyphony?
Ok... but HOW? Early Music Sources does a fantastic job of explaining how William Byrd not only wrote beautiful polyphony, but also did so above a ground bass!
Wesley Gavotte
I heard this fun organ piece over the weekend and had to share!
Aleotti
So you want to be a composer (in 16-17th century Italy)? First become an accomplished musician, then join a convent...
Inclusive Music Theory
Thinking ahead to curriculum for next year and looking for a broader or more inclusive perspective? Check out this resource!
Sawney Freeman
Confronting the past can be uncomfortable but it's SO important not only to inform our present but also to keep from losing contributions of forgotten musicians like Sawney Freeman. What an important effort from the Episcopal church, library, and musician communities in Connecticut! Make sure to watch the video as well to hear his music!
Anonymous lute piece
How much of our opinion of a piece of music is based on the music, and how much comes from the reputation of the composer? Works by the prolific composer Anonymous remove one element of that equation!