Published by the American Recorder Society, Vol. XLV, No. 5 november 2004
Adding Percussion to Medieval and Renaissance Music by Peggy Monroe
Just as you wouldn’t use saxophones to play Medieval music, there are appropriate percussion instruments to use for added color in early music, especially in music for dancing. Monroe suggests how to choose instruments and provides ideas for playing them, caring for them, and using them cre- atively on your own.
Order this information booklet and others in the series: ARS Information Booklets: Recorder Care, by Scott Paterson American Recorder Music, by Constance Primus Music for Mixed Ensembles, by Jennifer W. Lehmann Improve Your Consort Skills, by Susan (Prior) Carduelis Playing Music for the Dance, by Louise Austin The Burgundian Court and Its Music, coordinated by Judith Whaley Adding Percussion to Medieval and Renaissance Music, by Peggy Monroe Members: 1-$13, 2-$23, 3-$28, 4-$35, 5-$41, 6-$47, 7-$52 Non-members: 1-$18, 2-$33, 3-$44, 4-$55, 5-$66, 6-$76, 7-$86 AMERICAN RECORDER SOCIETY 1129 RUTH DR., ST. LOUIS MO 63122-1019 800-491-9588 Order your recorder discs through the ARS CD Club!
The ARS CD Club makes hard-to-find or limited release CDs by ARS members available to ARS members at the special price listed (non-members slightly higher), postage and handling included. An updated listing of all available CDs may be found at the ARS web site:
NEW LISTINGS! ____THE GREAT EMU WAR Batalla Famossa, a young ensemble, with first CD of Australian ____A. CORELLI Ensemble Caprice Stuttgart. ____ Matthias Maute & Sophie Larivière, recorders; recorder music. Orpheus. $17 ARS/$20 others. Michael Spengler, viola da gamba; Maria ____THE GREAT MR. HANDEL Carolina Baroque, SACRED & Grossman, claviorganum. Works by Corelli & Dale Higbee, recorders. Sacred and secular music SECULAR Kuhnau. Antes Edition. $17 ARS/$20 others. by Handel. Live recording. $17 ARS/$20 others. CANTATAS OF J. S. ____ARLECCHINO: SONATAS AND BALLETTI ____HANDEL: THE ITALIAN YEARS Elissa BACH. Carolina Baroque. Dale Higbee, recorders. OF J. H. SCHMELZER Ensemble Caprice Stuttgart. Berardi, recorder & Baroque flute; Philomel Live performances of three cantatas, BWV 82a, Matthias Maute & Sophie Larivière, recorders; Baroque Orchestra. Handel, Nel dolce dell’oblio & Tra le fiamme, two important pieces for obbligato BWV 202, BWV 209. $17 ARS/$20 others. Michael Spengler, gamba; Maria Grossman, harpsi- ____A. SCARLATTI: CONCERTI DI CAMERA Judith chord. Works by Schmelzer, Muffat, Vitali. Antes recorder & soprano; Telemann, Trio in F; Vivaldi, All’ombra di sospetto. Dorian. $17 ARS/$20 others. Linsenberg, recorders; Musica Pacifica. Seven sona- Edition. $17 ARS/$20 others. tas, various instrumentations. $17 ARS/$20 others. ____SAMMARTINI: SONATAS & CONCERTOS FOR ____IMAGINE II David Young, recorders. More con- ____LES SEPT SAUTS: Baroque Chamber Music FLUTE Ensemble Caprice & Rebel. Matthias Maute temporary interpretations of classic songs from the at the Stuttgart Court. Matthias Maute & Sophie & Sophie Larivière, recorders & traverso. Extended 1970s by Neil Young, Jim Croce, Carole King, and Larivière, recorders & traverso; Ensemble Caprice. concertos and sonatas by Sammartini & Maute. Moody Blues. Universe Music. $17 ARS/$20 others. Charming repertoire by Schwartzkopff, Bodino, Atma Classique. $17 ARS/$20 others. ____IN NOVA CANTICA, A Celebration of Detri. Atma Classique. $17 ARS/$20 others. ____SWEET FOLLIA, THE RECORDER ON TWO Christmas. Eileen Hadidian, recorder & ____SOLO, DOUBLE & TRIPLE CONCERTOS CONTINENTS Ensemble Caprice. Matthias Maute Renaissance flute, with voice, violin, vielle, gamba OF BACH & TELEMANN Carolina Baroque, Dale & Sophie Larivière, recorders. Selections by and lute. Traditional carols, chansons and festive Higbee, recorders. 2-CD set, recorded live. Purcell, Morley, Maute, Couperin, Van Eyck, others. dances from the 13th-17th centuries. Healing Muses. $17 ARS/ $20 others. $24 ARS/$28 others. Atma Classique. $17 ARS/$20 others. ____SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW John ____VON PARIS NACH WIEN Duo Caprice ____JOURNEY Wood’N Flutes, Vicki Boeckman, Gertie Johnsson & Pia Brinch Jensen, recorders. Tyson, recorders, with Renaissonics. Baroque & Stuttgart. Matthias Maute, recorder & Michael contemporary music. Titanic. $17 ARS/$20 others. Spengler, gamba. Works from Paris to Vienna by Works by Dufay, Machaut, Henry VIII, Mogens Pederson, W.W. Van Nieuwkerk & Maute—seven ____SONGS IN THE GROUND Cléa Galhano, Rameau, Satie, Maute, J. Haydn, Chopin, others. recorder, Vivian Montgomery, harpsichord. Songs Antes Edition. $17 ARS/$20 others. centuries. Kadanza Classics. $17 ARS/$20 others. ____A JOURNEY AMONG TRAVELLERS based on grounds by Pandolfi, Belanzanni, Vitali, (CD SHORT) Peter Bowman & Kathryn Bennetts Bach, others. 10,000 Lakes. $17 ARS/$20 others. IN STOCK (Partial listing) perform Donald Bousted’s 26-minute quarter-tonal ____TELEMANN ALLA POLACCA REBEL Matthias piece for two alto recorders, which had its U.S. Maute, recorders & traverso, play concerti and suites ____ARCHIPELAGO Alison Melville, recorder & by G.P. Telemann. . $17 ARS/$20 others. traverso. Sonatas & concerti by Hotteterre, Stanley, premiere at the 1998 Berkeley Festival. $12 ARS/$14 others. ____TELEMANN: CHAMBER CANTATAS & TRIO Bach, Boismortier and others. $17 ARS/$20 others. SONATAS Judith Linsenberg, recorders; Musica ____ BACH & HANDEL: BAROQUE MASTERS ____LANDSCAPES David Bellugi, recorders; Ali Tajbakhsh & Chris Hayward, percussion. “Virtual” Pacifica. Five cantatas of Harmonischer Gottes- Carolina Baroque. Dale Higbee, recorders. dienst, two trio sonatas from Sonatas Corellisantes. Excerpts from several of the masters' operas and recorder orchestra created by Bellugi. Three centuries of ethnic music by Encina, Brouwer, Ortiz, Bartok. 2003 Chamber Music America/ WQXR Record cantatas, recorded in 2002 concert. $17 ARS/$20 Award. Dorian. $17 ARS/$20 others. others. Frame. $17 ARS/$20 others. ____LES AMIS DU BAROQUE Paul Nauta, recorder ____TELEMANN: DUOS POUR FLUTES Ensemble ____BLOCKFLOETENENSEMBLE WIEN Caprice. Matthias Maute & Sophie Larivière, Irmtraut Freiberg, Karin Heinisch, Susanne Jurdak, & Baroque flute; Koen Dieltiens, recorder. Music by Bassani, Corelli, Vivaldi, etc. Highlight Intl. recorders, Alexander Weimann, clavichord. Six Eva Maria Kaukal & Prisca Loeffler, recorders. Telemann duos & five fantasies Matthias Maute. Ensemble works by Demantius, Monteverdi, $17 ARS/$20 others. ____MIDNIGHT SUN Alison Melville & Colin Savage, Atma Classique. $17 ARS/$20 others. Morley, Mozart, Schermann, Kaeser, W. W. ____TRIO ATLANTICA Lisette Kielson, recorders. van Nieuwkerk, Pachelbel, Reichard. recorders; Ensemble Polaris. New arrangements of traditional music of Norway, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Works by Bach, Telemann, Montéclair, Leclair. Trio $17 ARS/$20 others. Atlantica. $17 ARS/$20 others. ____CHARLESTON PRO MUSICA ON TOUR Scotland. Classic CD Disc of the Month, August 2000. Dorian. $17 ARS/$20 others. ____20TH CENTURY MUSIC FOR RECORDER & Marsha Evans, Lewis Fitch & others, recorders, PIANO Anita Randolfi, recorders. Music by Jacob, gemshorns, guitar and voice. Medieval and ____MUSIC FOR A WINTER’S EVE, Bringing Light to the Darkness. Eileen Hadidian, recorder & Bartok, Leigh, others for recorder & piano. $17 Renaissance music with consort and singers. ARS/$20 others. Millennium Music/ Charleston SC. $17 ARS/$20 others. Baroque flute, with voice, violin, viola da gamba & Celtic harp. Traditional, Renaissance and Medieval ____ VIVALDI: LA NOTTE Concerti per strumenti ____DREAMS INSIDE THE AIR TUNNEL diversi. Judith Linsenberg, recorder; Musica Pacif- Zana Clarke, recorder & composer. “Drawing on the songs to celebrate midwinter and the changing of the seasons. Healing Muses. $17 ARS/$20 others. ica. Award-winning CD, featuring five Vivaldi con- music of the didjeridu & shakuhachi...beautiful & certi, two sonatas. Dorian. $17 ARS/$20 others. hypnotic...”—American Recorder. Orpheus Music. ____MY THING IS MY OWN: BAWDY MUSIC OF $17 ARS/$20 others. THOMAS D’URFEY Tina Chancey, Grant Herreid & Please indicate above the CDs you wish to order, ____ENSEMBLE PIACERE 2002 Ensemble Scott Reiss, recorders & other early instruments; and print clearly the following: Piacere, Irmtraut Freiberg, Eva Maria Kaukel, Rosa Lamoreaux, soprano. Improvisations on Name______recorders. Sparkling performances of works from tunes of love, sex & seduction in 18th-century Daytime phone: (_____) ______England. Koch Int’l. $17 ARS/$20 others. the Renaissance to the 20th century by Address: ______Frescobaldi, Ortiz, Telemann, Fux, Keil and many ____PRIEST ON THE RUN Piers Adams, recorders. others. Ensemble Piacere. $17 ARS/$20 others. Concerti composed by the ensemble’s namesake, City/State/Zip: ______FOLIAS FESTIVAS Cléa Galhano, recorders; flame-haired Vivaldi. Upbeat. $17 ARS/$20 others. Check enclosed for Belladonna. 16-17th-century music by Falconieri, de ____RECORDER JAZZ Warren Kime, recorder. _____ single CDs x $___ = $______Tafalla, Merula, others. Dorian. $17 ARS/$20 others. Original jazz charts with a great groove. _____ 2-CD sets x $____ = $______TOTAL $______FRUIT OF A DIFFERENT VINE Alison $17 ARS/$20 others. Please charge the above amount to my MasterCard or Melville, Natalie Michaud & Colin Savage, ____REFLECTIONS, Music to Soothe and Uplift Visa:#______Exp. Date: ______the Spirit. Eileen Hadidian, recorder & Baroque recorders; A. Hall, piano. Works by Hindemith, Cardholder’s signature: ______flute, with Celtic harp and ’cello. Celtic, traditional, Berkeley, Leigh, Staeps. 1994 ARS Professional Mail to: Recording Grant CD. S.R.I. $17 ARS/$20 others. Renaissance & Medieval melodies. Healing Muses. $17 ARS/$20 others. ARS, 1129 Ruth Dr., St. Louis, MO 63122-1019 USA.. You may fax your credit card order to 314-966-4649. EDITOR’S ______NOTE ______Volume XLV, Number 5 November 2004
Music criticism may not reflect the lasting FEATURES quality of a work or of a composer; it is Shopping for a Tenor? ...... 12 rather an impression of a moment. Nicolas Letitia Berlin compares mass-produced tenor recorders Slonimsky’s Lexicon of Musical Invective lists “critical assaults on composers since Wooden Fluijten in Beverwijck, Beethoven’s time,” which now may seem A Dutch Colony in the New World ...... 16 humorous: “Beethoven always sounds to 5 by Susan E. Thompson me like the upsetting of bags of nails, with here and there an also dropped hammer.” The profession of music criticism has DEPARTMENTS been criticizing itself lately. In August, dur- ing the Aspen (CO) Music Festival, critics Advertiser Index ...... 40 gathered for the first annual Music Critics' Chapters & Consorts ...... 36 Institute. More recently, the Music Critics Classified ...... 40 Association met in New York City, NY, for 8 “Shifting Ears,” a symposium on the “Pre- Education ...... 19 sent State and Future of Classical Music Music Reviews...... 24 Criticism.” One debate is whether nega- On the Cutting Edge...... 21 tive remarks about classical music (admit- tedly being played to dwindling audi- Opening Measures ...... 34 ences) should be toned down, so as not to President’s Message ...... 3 scare away new attenders. Many feel that the critic, however, must also let audience Q&A ...... 23 16 members know of shortcomings and give Response ...... 20 constructive criticism as appropriate— Tidings ...... 4 an important service to arts consumers. ON THE COVER: Technology has provided new ways to Illustration An early music festival in Montréal; Quartet New Generation express opinions of music via ’zines, ’blogs by plays in Carnegie Hall; Focus on ARS Business Members; Kathy Redd and other instant internet postings. Yet concert by American Pipers Guild; memorial concert for one wonders how much thought is really 890 Waite Drive devoted to those types of writings—or, Boulder CO 80303 David Goldstein; Sotheby’s sells Dusart caricature realistically, even to newspaper writings ©2004 when critics must cover such a spectrum of music these days (plus the other arts). In a niche group like our readers, cov- GAIL NICKLESS, Editor ering recorder news worldwide gives any Contributing Editors of you the opportunity to write about sig- FRANCES BLAKER, Beginners; JOHN H. BURKHALTER III, Book Reviews nificant happenings that you attend. THOMAS CIRTIN, Compact Disc Reviews; JODY L. MILLER, Education Witness thoughtful pieces such as Anita CONSTANCE M. PRIMUS, Music Reviews; CAROLYN PESKIN, Q & A Randolfi’s review of Quartet New Gener- TIMOTHY BROEGE, 20th-Century Performance LISA SCHMIDT, Design Consultant ation’s debut (page 4) and Nancy Hathaway’s first-person account of Les Advisory Board Journées de la flûte à bec 2004 (page 5). Martha Bixler • Valerie Horst • David Lasocki Another forum in AR is Response Bob Marvin • Howard Schott • Thomas Prescott • Catherine Turocy (page 20), for comments in general or on Kenneth Wollitz specific past AR articles, as well as occa- Copyright © 2004 American Recorder Society, Inc. sional op-ed pieces. If you enjoy writing Visit AR On-Line at
ALABAMA ILLINOIS Long Island: Margaret H. Brown Birmingham: Ken Kirby Chicago: Larry Johnson (516-765-1867) (205-822-6252) (773-631-6671) New York City: Michael Zumoff Chicago-West Suburban: ARIZONA (212-662-2946) Laura Sanborn Kuhlman Rochester: Frank Amato AMERICAN Phoenix: Linda Rising (602-997-6464) (630-462-5427) (716-225-6808) Tucson: Scott Mason (520-721-0846) RECORDER LOUISIANA Rockland: Lorraine Schiller ARKANSAS Baton Rouge: John Waite (845-429-8340) SOCIETY Aeolus Konsort: Don Wold (225-925-0502) Westchester: Carol B. Leibman INC. (501-666-2787) New Orleans: Chris Alderman (914-241-3381) Bella Vista: Barbara McCoy (504-862-0969) Honorary President (479-855-6477) NORTH CAROLINA MARYLAND Triangle: Cindy Osborne ERICH KATZ (1900-1973) CALIFORNIA Northern Maryland: Dawn Culbertson (919-851-1080) Honorary Vice President Central Coast: (410-235-2354) Margery Seid (805-474-8538) OHIO INIFRED AEGER W J East Bay: Helga Wilking MASSACHUSETTS Greater Cleveland: Edith Yerger Statement of Purpose (415-472-6367) Boston: Alison Gottlieb (440-826-0716) The mission of the American Recorder Society is Monterey Bay: Sandy Ferguson (617-983-1451) Toledo: Marilyn Perlmutter (831-462-0286) Recorders/Early Music Metro-West to promote the recorder and its music by (419-531-6259) North Coast: Kathleen Kinkela-Love Boston: Sheila Beardslee developing resources and standards to help (707-822-8835) (978-263-9926) OREGON people of all ages and ability levels to play and Orange County: Doris Leffingwell Worcester Hills: Madeline Browning Oregon Coast: Corlu Collier study the recorder, presenting the instrument (949-494-9675) (508-842-5490) (541-265-5910) Sacramento: Robert Foster to new constituencies, encouraging increased PENNSYLVANIA (916-391-7520) or MICHIGAN career opportunities for professional recorder Elsa Morrison (916-929-6001) Ann Arbor: David Goings Philadelphia: Dody Magaziner performers and teachers, and enabling and San Diego County: Richard Chang (734-663-6247) (215-886-2241) or Kalamazoo: Wade Lawrence Joanne Ford (215-844-8054) supporting recorder playing as a shared (760-726-8699) (269-353-9885) Pittsburgh: Helen Thornton social experience. Besides this journal, San Francisco: Jack O’Neill (415-731-9660) Metropolitan Detroit: (412-781-6321) ARS publishes a newsletter, a personal study Claudia Novitzsky (248-548-5668) South Bay: Joanna Woodrow RHODE ISLAND program, a directory, and special musical (408-266-3993) Northwinds Recorder Society: Rhode Island: David Bojar editions. Society members gather and play Southern California: Lynne Snead Janet Smith (231-347-1056) Western Michigan: Marilyn Idsinga (401-944-3395) together at chapter meetings, weekend and (661-254-7922) (231-894-8415) TENNESSEE summer workshops, and many ARS-sponsored COLORADO MINNESOTA Greater Knoxville: Ann Stierli events throughout the year. In 2000, the Boulder: Rose Marie Terada Twin Cities: Dave Bucklin (865-637-6179) Society entered its seventh decade of (303-666-4307) Colorado Springs: Jeanne LeClercq (612-824-7724) Nashville: Janet Epstein service to its constituents. (719-473-0714) MISSOURI (615-297-2546) Board of Directors Denver: Keith Emerson St. Louis: Norm Stoecker TEXAS (303-750-8460) (636-532-3255) Austin: Susan Page (512-467-7520) Alan Karass, President Fort Collins: Roselyn Dailey Dallas: Bill Patterson (214-696-4892) Sue Roessel, Vice President; Co-Chair, Membership (970-282-1097) NEVADA Sierra Early Music Society: Rio Grande: Joyce Henry Marilyn Perlmutter, Secretary CONNECTICUT (505-522-4178) Ann Stickney, Treasurer; Chair, Finance Karlene Dickey (775-832-9124) Connecticut: Dorothy Vining VERMONT John Nelson, Asst. Secretary; Chair, Scholarships (203-267-6513) NEW HAMPSHIRE Upper Valley: Barbara Prescott Kathy Cochran, Asst. Treasurer Eastern Connecticut: Joyce Goldberg Monadnock: Barbara George (802-257-1467) (603-643-6442) Rebecca Arkenberg, Chair, Publications (860-442-8490) Upper Valley: Barbara Prescott VIRGINIA Letitia Berlin, Co-Chair, Membership DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (603-643-6442) Northern Virginia: Frances Blaker, Chair, Washington: Myrl Powell (301-587-4799) or NEW JERSEY Edward Friedler (703-425-1324) Special Events/Professional Outreach Jane Takeuchi Udelson Bergen County: Mary Comins Tidewater (Williamsburg): Richard Carbone, Chair, Chapters & Consorts (703-369-3022) (201-489-5695) Vicki H. Hall (757-565-2773) Mark Davenport, Chair, Education Highland Park: DELAWARE WASHINGTON Amanda Pond Donna Messer (732-828-7421) Brandywine: Roger Matsumoto Navesink: Lori Goldschmidt Moss Bay: Louise Hotaling (302-731-1430) (732-922-2750) (206-723-3811) Staff FLORIDA Princeton: Peter Lindenfeld Seattle: Belinda Frazier (206-522-7342) Kathy Sherrick, Administrative Director Gainesville: Russell D. Moore (609-921-9524) 1129 Ruth Drive (352-378-0567) Somerset Hills: Keith Bernstein WISCONSIN (908-722-6572) St. Louis, MO 63122-1019 U.S.A. Miami: Zulema Garraffo Milwaukee: Diane Kuntzelman (305-374-1879) NEW MEXICO (414-654-6685) 800-491-9588 toll free Sarasota: Valerie Sizemore 314-966-4082 phone (941-484-9589) Albuquerque: Ray Hale Southern Wisconsin: (505-286-8604) Margaret Asquith (608-233-4441) 314-966-4649 fax GEORGIA Rio Grande: Joyce Henry E-mail: Atlanta: Phil Hollar (505-522-4178) CANADA
6 American Recorder PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ______Change is inevitable
here is a quote by Adlai Stevenson that, was appointed to determine the best way this year; weekend Tin my opinion, aptly summarizes the to continue ARS operations. The model and workshop schol- activities of the ARS Board this summer: proposed by the Task Force recommended arships will continue “Change is inevitable. Change for the running ARS as a home-based office with a to be offered; and ARS better is a full-time job.” single full-time professional staff person, will sponsor events This summer was an eventful one for the ARS Administrative Director. Their at the 2005 Boston the ARS and saw some necessary changes. plan, significantly reducing ARS staff and Early Music Festival. First, some background information. office expenses, offered a solution that All of our plans—to The majority of ARS’s operating expenses provides considerable savings to ARS support the Recorder come from members’ annual dues. Mem- without sacrificing member services or Music Center at Regis University in Den- bership cycles are linked to publication of projects. ver, CO, the first ARS Conference (July 28- American Recorder and renewal notices are 31, 2005, at Regis University), and ARS sent five times a year—in September, Goldstein Editions—are unchanged. November, January, March and May, Just as corporations Effective immediately, this is the new depending on when you first signed up as need to reinvent home of the American Recorder Society: a member. Since renewal notices are not themselves periodically 1129 Ruth Drive sent during June, July, and August, our to optimize productivity St. Louis, MO 63122-1019 income dries up during the summer. Some 800-491-9588 toll free years this lack of summer income is a big- and effectiveness, 314-966-4082 phone ger problem than in others, depending on we realized it was 314-966-4649 fax expenses and donations. time to restructure
November 2004 7 TIDINGS ______Remembering David Goldstein, pipers play, ______another award for Friedrich von Huene Quartet New Generation gives Carnegie Hall debut Last March, it was announced that the In 2003, the collective won the top The most emotionally riveting piece first prize winner of the 2004 Concert prizes at the International Gaudeamus In- played by QNG at their Carnegie Hall Artists Guild International Competition terpreters Competition for Contemporary debut was Lamentation (1978) by Ryohei was a recorder ensemble, Quartet New Music in the Netherlands; the Interna- Hirose. The piece is full of wailing and Generation (QNG). tional Chamber Music Competition for whistling sounds, and is a reflection on QNG was founded in September 1998 Contemporary Music in Poland; and the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. QNG by four recorder players who met during France’s “13ème Concours International played it from memory, so that not even a their studies at the Amsterdam Conserva- de Musique de Chambre.” music stand came between the audience tory and the University of the Arts The Concert Artists Guild award is a and the raw impact of this music. of Berlin—Hannah Pape, Susanne wonderful development because it helps The ensemble’s ability to play from Fröhlich, Andrea Guttmann, and Heide our instrument take its rightful place in memory is part of QNG’s skill as perform- Schwarz (l to r below). North America as an instrument deserving ers, as distinct from their virtuosity as of serious recorderists. They take command of and considera- use their performing space—sometimes tion. As win- standing to play, sometimes sitting. Some ner of the pieces on the September program were award, the played from music, others from memory. quartet made They started the concert with T. Meru- its debut at la’s La Lusignuola (1615), standing and Weill Hall playing from memory. They even came on of Carnegie to the floor of Weill Hall, and, from the Hall in New four corners of the orchestra level, per- York City, NY, formed Kites Flying (1992) by the Russian on Septem- composer Viktor Ekimowskij. The piece is ber 14. The constructed of fast trills and slow scale New York patterns that, all together, gave the Times took impression of the hum one hears from a this award taut kite string. seriously This was an impressive evening for the enough to recorder. The playing was brilliant; the publish a preview article, as well as a re- music was interesting and often beautiful. This award is a wonderful view of the QNG concert. That’s a lot more These four attractive young women New York City press attention than the have seriously thought about how to make development because it recorder usually gets in a year! contact with their audience by presenting helps our instrument take The QNG program consisted of nine a concert experience that is both musical- pieces: three from the repertory of old mu- ly significant and entertaining. its rightful place...as an sic, five from the late 20th century, and a However, it was disappointing that, in instrument deserving of piece composed in 2001. The balance of the 277 seats of Weill Recital Hall, I saw the program reveals QNG’s slant toward only three other audience members who serious consideration. new music. are recorder players. The orchestra level QNG works with contemporary com- was nearly filled, presumably by support- posers to help develop a new and original ers of the Concert Artists Guild, but the The repertory for recorder quartet. One such balcony was empty. It should have been piece is Wicked (2001) by Michiel filled with local recorder players. After all, Recorder Magazine Mensingh. His piece has a cheerful if recorder players don’t take an interest in we invite you to visit the site vernacular tone, and he made witty use of and support these excellent young www.recordermail.demon.co.uk the four big Paetzold recorders by taking recorderists, who else will? advantage of the key mechanism for Anita Randolfi percussive effect.
8 American Recorder These gifted young Canadians entertained a crowd of about 60 at the Montreal Recorder Festival. (Photos by Melvyn Pond) Les Journées de la flûte à bec 2004: A Participant Reports Shortly after I arrived in Montréal for its Improvisation also popped up third annual Recorder Festival, Les in a master class given by harpsi- Journées de la flûte à bec 2004, held chordist Alexander Weimann and from September 9-12, someone informed in a workshop. I attended the latter. me that Montréal is “the best early music We began by sight-reading city in North America.” Thinking of other Maute’s Ouvertûre-tutti. Next came cities whose residents might dispute that William J. Schinstine’s instrument- claim, I almost laughed. But who knows? free Rock Trap, written entirely for McGill University, where the festival was “body percussion.” held, boasts a fine early music program. In Finally, Maute had us set down a foun- The festival also offered two other con- a festival-crazy town, chamber music and dation of D minor and C major chords, certs. The first was a solo recital by the Baroque celebrations abound. This year’s and then called on one person after German virtuoso Michael Schneider. Recorder Festival, directed by Matthias another to improvise. The results were Thanks to Amtrak, we missed half of the Maute, provided further sustenance for surprisingly convincing. concert. But we did hear two Telemann early music aficionados. The most stunning improvisations fantasias, a set of Hotteterre preludes, and But although the festival featured reverberated through McGill University’s three contemporary works: Maute’s enough Bach and Telemann to make any- beamed Redpath Hall on September 11, Fantasia in D minor; Makoto Shinohara’s one happy, the focus was on improvisa- in a Saturday night concert. Ensemble challenging 1968 piece Fragmente; and tion, both in Baroque music and in jazz. Caprice, co-directed by Maute and Gerhard Müller-Hornbach’s Sisyphos Inevitably, this pulled in a wide range of Larivière, and jazz pianist Lorraine (2004), which vividly evokes that mythical contemporary music. Desmarais switched smoothly back and sinner’s repeated attempts to push a I attended as a member of the Man- forth between Baroque music and jazz boulder up a mountain, only to watch hattan Recorder Orchestra (MRO), improvisation. For example, the first piece helplessly as it tumbles downhill. which was scheduled to perform under began with Bach’s Prelude in C Major, BWV I was tempted to skip a late-afternoon Maute’s direction in a joint concert with 846, played on harpsichord by Alexander concert by young artists. What a mistake Flutissimo, a Canadian orchestra direct- Weimann. Then Desmarais took over, that would have been! The musicians, ed by Sophie Larivière. Like everything richly improvising on the Bach/Gounod most of whom seemed to be in their teens else in Montréal, our two rehearsals were Ave Maria version of the prelude. Finally, and 20s (with the tattoos to prove it), were conducted in both French and English. Ensemble Caprice presented Maute’s gifted and prepared. Here, too, the music Was the international collaboration a version, on wooden flutes, spanned the centuries, be- success? It was. The concert went swim- of Bach’s timeless creation. ginning with a Pachelbel trio mingly. Among its highlights were Samuel Another piece began and concluding with a Paul Scheidt’s Canzon XXVII for Five Voices; with a powerful rendition Leenhouts arrangement of a three Erik Satie songs; and a world pre- by Maute (at right) on bass Stevie Wonder tune. miere of Maute’s Ten Times Tenor. (By my recorder of Erroll Garner’s Also on the festival count, at least half a dozen Maute compo- Misty, progressed to agenda: chamber music sitions were performed over the weekend.) Desmarais’ ingenious riff on workshops, children’s The signature selection was Hollywood a 16th-century tune, and workshops, master classes, composer Russell Garcia’s Force 12, which concluded with Ensemble and a maintenance work- featured improvisations by three MRO Caprice playing Vivaldi’s shop by Jean-Luc Boudreau. members: Michael Rosenberg on alto, La Follia. “I work in the shop and I Steven Moise on sopranino, and Anita The connection between the two destroy instruments,” he said, neatly Randolfi on tenor. genres? Improvisation. As Maute points illustrating his point by knocking the out, “Good taste in the 17th and 18th block out of a recorder. The Manhattan Recorder Orchestra and centuries dictated that one should never Boudreau also makes quality instru- Flutissimo shared the stage for a concert at repeat oneself! A second performance of ments. “It’s technical work—scientific McGill University’s Redpath Hall. the same work was with a lot of intuition. My job is to be very expected to sound consistent with what I do.” different.” The same is Next year’s festival has been sched- true with jazz. uled, and I hope to attend. I’d relish the “It is exciting to chance to perform again in the splendor of rediscover the power Redpath Hall; to hear virtuoso recorder of improvised music concerts that venture far from the usual with its unpredictable thing; and—not least—to wander around twists,” he adds. “All in a city where everyone speaks French of a sudden music be- and yet understands English. Quel plaisir. comes an adventure.” Nancy Hathaway
November 2004 9 “Sally Gardens” and an arrangement combining “Peace Like a River” and Concerto for 12 Debuts “Kumbayah.” in Sacramento, CA The third section of the program On September 26, Glen Shannon featured works especially written for (at right in photo above) conducted the bamboo pipe—solos for soprano pipe world premiere of his latest commis- by Francis Poulenc and Albert Roussel, sioned work, Vivaldi’s Ark: Celebration quartets by Jacques Ibert, British com- Concerto, at a concert at Temple B’nai poser Betty Fernley, Dutch composer Israel in Sacramento, CA . Charlotte Poletti (at right in group photo) led the Tera de Marez Oyens, and Swiss com- The concert, entitled Vivaldi’s Ark: American Pipers Guild in its August concert. Duane poser Sascha Horowitz. Some of these They Played Two by Two, was organized by Luster (l) and Alice Luster were two of the performers. works had their U.S. premiere perform- Sacramento harpsichordist, composer ance at the concert. and songwriter Marta Belén, and con- “If we are not careful we shall become a Next came an homage to the British sisted of five duets—clarinets, recorders, nation of mere listeners and we shall wake up Pipers Guild, including selections from oboes, trumpets and ’cellos—culled one day to find that there is no one left to Vaughan Williams’ Suite for Pipes and his from various double concerti by Antonio listen to, because we have not made the seed settings of hymn tunes. The concert con- Vivaldi. Belén commissioned Shannon bed from which the sturdier plants can grow. cluded with all playing On Yonder High to compose and conduct a concerto It is to guard against this catastrophe that the Mountain, arranged by Margaret James, in Vivaldi’s style, to bring everyone Pipers’ Guild exists where everyone not only founder of the bamboo pipe movement. back “on deck” at the end of the duo per- makes his own music but makes his own ARS Board member Rebecca Arkenberg formances. The nine-minute concerto instrument as well. . .” accompanied on piano, and Poletti played featured each pair (plus a violin duet) These words by Ralph Vaughan the descant on sopranino pipe. moving in and out of the solo spotlight, Williams, chairman of the British Pipers Poletti remarked that members of the with continuo holding it together. Guild for almost 20 years, provided an APG have diverse backgrounds—folk to In keeping with the “ark” theme, the introduction to The Pipe Experience, a classically-trained musicians, with little or audience was invited to ascribe various concert of bamboo pipe music presented no musical training, or with years of expe- animals’ personalities to the instru- by the American Pipers Guild (APG) un- rience. “This diversity is encouraged by ments, such as songbirds to the der its president Charlotte Poletti on Au- the many avenues offered by the pipers’ recorders and monkeys to the clarinets. gust 27 in Lexington, MA. Twelve APG movement. For some, making a pipe is The slow movement showcased a sullen members performed (for some, in their their favorite part—learning about soloist on cowbell—representing the first public performance) on pipes that acoustics, decorating their instrument, or lonely unicorn who missed the boat, but they had made and decorated themselves. just experimenting. Others prefer playing who comes back joyously at the end of Pipes in all sizes, from sopranino to great with friends on a weekly basis or going to the finale. bass, were featured in music from national and international meetings. The concert may be repeated in Rock- Medieval to modern times, in solo and en- Some like to accompany pipes with other lin, CA, on a date not set by press time. semble, sometimes accompanied by ham- instruments; others can manage only one mer and mountain dulcimer, piano, hurdy simple pipe. Ironically, as we pursue all gurdy and percussion. The concert show- these possibilities for individual expres- cased the versatility of the bamboo pipe sion, strong bonds are forged as we create and introduced the audience to its history our instruments that unify us as a group.” and development around the world. To find out more, visit
10 American Recorder FOCUS ON ARS BUSINESS MEMBERS
AMERICAN ORFF-SCHULWERK ASSOC. Kingsley Kolor Recorders. The Kingsley RHYTHM BAND INSTRUMENTS, INC. Cindi Wobig, Executive Director, Kolors come in seven school colors - red, Bob Bergin, P.O. Box 126, P.O.Box 391089, Cleveland, OH 44139; blue, green, yellow, orange, fuchsia and Fort Worth, TX 76101-0126; 440-543-5366; 440-543-2687 (fax); purple. Also available are patented safety 800-424-4724 or 817-335-2561; [email protected]; www.aosa.org neck straps (twelve colors) for hands-free 800-784-9401 or 817-332-5654 (fax); AOSA is a professional association of music activities. Macie is the sole distributor of [email protected]; and movement educators whose purpose is the Ed Sueta Recorder Curriculum including www.rhythmband.com to promote the teachings and philosophy of method books (diatonic and pentatonic), U.S. distributor of Aulos recorders, Carl Orff. The association has approximately play-along CDs, teacher's materials and a plus Sweet Pipes recorder publications, 5,000 members and 84 local chapters, holds coordinated orchestrations book for both Chromaharps, bell sets, and a wide an annual conference each November, and pitched and unpitched rhythm instruments. selection of percussion instruments. publishes The Orff Echo magazine and MAGNAMUSIC DISTRIBUTORS, INC. ROBERTO’S WOODWIND Reverberations newsletter quarterly. Madeline Hunter, 74 Amenia Union Rd., Roberto Romeo, 146 West 46th Street, JAMES F. BARTRAM Sharon, CT 06069; 860-364-5431; New York City, NY 10036; 212-391-1315; 4267 Coolidge Ave., Oakland, CA 94602; 860-364-5168 (fax); 212-840-7224 (fax); roberto@robertoswood 510-336-0865; JBartram@quadrivium-labs [email protected]; wind.com; www.robertoswoodwind.com .com; www.quadrivium-labs.com/recorders www.magnamusic.com Repair shop in the heart of Manhattan. Recorders Revoiced, Renewed and Repaired Importer/distributor of recorders, historical Importer of Pietro Sopranzi Baroque BOULDER EARLY MUSIC SHOP woodwind instruments, shakuhachi, and recorders from Italy. Carol and Kim Deihl, P.O. Box 900, Ouray, harpsichords. Magnamusic holds one of the SCHOTT & CO., LTD. CO 81427; 800-499-1301; 970-325-4154; largest inventories of early and contemporary Judith Webb, P.O. Box 411, Ashford, Kent 970-325-4185 (fax); [email protected]; sheet music available in the USA & Canada. TN27 0YF, England; 44-1233-714741; www.bems.com Free catalogs. Prompt, friendly service. Please 44-1233-714744 (fax); We sell Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and refer to our ad for a listing of [email protected]; folk instruments, and sheet music, gift items, manufacturer/publisher information. www.schott-music.com accessories, books, CDs, and tapes. Store MEL BAY PUBLICATIONS, INC. SWEET PIPES INC. Hours by Appointment, Monday-Friday, William Bay, #4 Industrial Drive, Pacific, MO Laura Bergin, 6722 Brentwood Stair Rd., 10:00-5:30. We also offer prompt mail order 63069; 636-257-3970; 636-257-5062 (fax); Fort Worth, TX 76112; service. [email protected]; www.melbay.com 800-446-1067 or 817-446-3299; COLLINS & WILLIAMS MOECK MUSIKINSTRUMENTE 800-576-7608 or 817-446-0484 (fax); HISTORIC WOODWINDS UND VERLAG E.K. [email protected]; www.sweetpipes.com Lee Collins, 5 White Hollow Rd., Lakeville, Sabine Haase-Moeck, Lückenweg 4, Publishers of recorder materials for students, CT 06039; 860-435-0051 (phone & fax); D-29227 Celle, Germany; teachers, and performers: method books, [email protected]; www.leecollins.com 49-05141-88530; 49-05141-885342 (fax); solos, ensembles, editions of early music, Restoration, repair, and maintenance of fine [email protected]; miscellaneous recorder items, and Aulos instruments. We offer authorized repair www.moeck-music.de and Yamaha quality plastic recorders. service for Moeck, Zen-On, Coolsma, Aura, (U.S. agent: Magnamusic Distributors, Inc.) TOYAMA MUSICAL Dolmetsch, Mollenhauer, and other makers PERIPOLE BERGERAULT INSTRUMENT CO., LTD. of quality instruments world-wide. Catherine E. Marshall, PO Box 12909, Takamura Toyama, 41, Oharacho, Itabashi- COURTLY MUSIC UNLIMITED, INC. Salem, OR 97309-0909; 800/443-3592; ku, Tokyo 174, Japan; 81-3-3960-8305 Richard and Elaine Henzler, 3785 Main 888-724-6733 (fax); Contact@peripoleber (U.S. agent: Rhythm Band Instruments, Inc.) Street, Warrensburg, NY 12885-1665; gerault.com; www.peripolebergerault.com VON HUENE WORKSHOP/ EARLY 800-274-2443; 518-623-2867; PRB PRODUCTIONS MUSIC SHOP OF NEW ENGLAND 518-623-2869 (fax); Peter R. Ballinger and Leslie J. Gold, Nikolaus von Huene, 65 Boylston St., [email protected]; 963 Peralta Ave., Albany, CA 94706-2144; Brookline, MA 02445-7694; 617-277-8690; www.courtlymusicunlimited.com 510-526-0722; 510-527-4763 (fax); 617-277-7217 (fax); [email protected]; HOUSE OF PORTER [email protected]; www.prbmusic.com www.vonHuene.com Richard Eastman, 961 East Porter Ave., Practical performing editions of early and The Von Huene Workshop makes and deals Naperville, IL 60540-5527; contemporary music for instruments and in fine Renaissance and Baroque woodwinds. 630-355-0495; [email protected] voices. Especially for recorders, Frances Blak- Its affiliate, the Early Music Shop of New Featuring the compositions of Richard er’s Recorder Player’s Companion, contempo- England, supplies recorders, flutes, reed Eastman, prize-winning contemporary com- rary works by Goldstein, Seibert and others, instruments, early keyboards, sheet music, poser. Free sample and catalog on request. baroque polychoral motets by Bassano and and related items. LAZAR’S EARLY MUSIC Gabrieli, and madrigal books by Gibbons and WARNER BROS. PUBLICATIONS Bill Lazar, 1377 Bluebird Ct., Monteverdi. Please request a free catalogue Jason Beals, 15800 N.W. 48th Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94087; 866-511-2981; for a complete list of our editions. Miami, FL 33014; 408-737-8228; 413-622-9124 (fax) PRESCOTT WORKSHOP 800-327-7643; 305-620-1500; [email protected]; Thomas M. & Barbara C. Prescott, 305-621-1094 (fax); www.lazarsearlymusic.com 14 Grant Rd., Hanover, NH 03755-6615; [email protected]; We sell Boudreau’s Aesthé, Cíp gemshorns, 603-643-6442; 603-643-5219 (fax); http://warnerchappell.com; Dolmetsch Millennium, Ehlert handmade, [email protected]; www.warnerbrospublications.com Moeck, Mollenhauer, Küng, Lockwood www.prescottworkshop.com handmade, Paetzold Square Basses, and UNIVERSE MUSIC Yamaha recorders and early winds. Keys Baroque and Renaissance recorders David Young, 2633 Lincoln Blvd., Suite 328, added. Personal service and advice. personally crafted by Thomas M. Prescott. Santa Monica CA 90405; Instruments gladly sent on approval. PROVINCETOWN BOOKSHOP 800-566-2862; 818-766-2862; Very competitive prices. Joel Newman, 246 Commercial St., 818-766-2872 fax; [email protected]; Provincetown, MA 02657; 508-487-9651; www.davidyoungmusic.com MACIE PUBLISHING COMPANY 508-487-3286 (fax) Ed Sueta, 10 Astro Place, Suite 100, Pioneering in recorder and viol music mail Rockaway, NJ 07866; order since the late 1950s. We don’t sell 888-697-1333; 973-983-1415 fax instruments and can concentrate on filling [email protected]; music orders. Also offer a growing list of www.maciepublishing.com Information supplied by Macie Publishing Company is the sole recorder editions by Andrew Charlton, distributor of Kingsley and translucent David Goldstein, and Joel Newman. Business Members responding.
November 2004 11 Bits & Pieces
L’Ensemble Portique, led by founding Australian International Recorder Fes- artistic director and recorderist Lisette tival, subtitled “Steps in Time: Dance, Kielson, has announced the release of Movement and the Recorder,” is set for two CDs under its label, LEP Records. January 15-22, 2005, in Armidale, Taste of Portique, released earlier this New South Wales. The event combines year, includes chamber music of the 18th workshops, classes, concerts, perform- to the 21st centuries. A major portion of ances and leisure activities. Dancers of the recording is devoted to music for all ages and backgrounds will be taught recorder and harpsichord obbligato, with styles ranging from Renaissance court Over 40 participants from the U.S. and from music by Boismortier, Telemann, J.S. Bach dance to tai chi and flamenco. Lima, Peru, attended the 2004 Suzuki Method and C.P.E. Bach, featuring Kielson on Recorderists will play in consorts, master Recorder, Flute, and Violin Institute, held recorders and Max H. Yount, harpsichord. classes and technique sessions. See July 12-13 in Ames, IA (participants from the Released this fall, Telemann: Canons
In May, Sotheby’s Amsterdam auctioned the Unicorno Collection, which included a 1690 drawing by the Haarlem master Cornelis Dusart (1660-1704). The Dusart drawing depicts the head of a leering man, a recorder tucked into his hat. Lots number 77 to 80 in the sale of the Unicorno Collection of Old Master Drawings, collected by Saam Nijstad and Lily Nijstad- Einhorn, belonged to a series of similar circular caricatures by Dusart, others of which are in Linz and Vienna, Austria. Sotheby’s describes them as lively and rustic, yet at the same time elegantly drawn and colored. The works encapsulate the influence of Dusart’s teacher Adriaen van Ostade on Dusart’s figure and composition types, and also on his drawing technique—yet he transcended these influences to create a very personal style that anticipates develop- Lot 80: Cornelis Dusart (Haarlem, ments in early 18th-century Dutch art. 1660 - 1704) CARICATURE, According to Sotheby’s, the fascinating balance be- HEAD OF A LEERING MAN, tween backward- and forward-looking tendencies in A RECORDER TUCKED Dusart’s work became more apparent after INTO HIS HAT. Signed Ostade’s death in 1685—five years before the and dated, lower right: execution of the drawings in lots 77 to 80—and Corn. Dusart. fc./ 1690. is also particularly evident when the condition Red and black chalk of the watercolors is as fine as was that of the and watercolor, four examples just auctioned. within a drawn The Dusart drawing was initially valued at circle, on vellum, 4500-6000 EUR ($5550-7400 U.S.), but was 155 by 144 mm. actually sold for 10,072 EUR (just over $12,400 (image diameter U.S.). While Sotheby’s cannot reveal the identity 97 mm.) (Photo used of the purchaser, it was confirmed that a with the kind permission of German private buyer is the new owner Sotheby’s, De Boelelaan 30, of this caricature. 1083 HJ Amsterdam)
12 American Recorder
Early Music Performances in Portugal Friedrich von Huene receives Directed by teacher Lifetime Achievement Award Francisco Rosado, the of National Flute Association Ensemble de Flautas de At its August annual convention in Loulé of Algarve, Portu- Nashville, TN, the National Flute Asso- gal, presented a program ciation presented its Lifetime Achieve- of Renaissance dances ment Award to Friedrich von Huene. and Italian canzonas from This is the latest of several honors the first half of the 17th given to the maker of recorders and century at a joint concert Baroque flutes, including the first at the Sixth Encontro de ARS Distinguished Achievement Música Antiga de Award in 1987 and the 2003 Curt Loulé. The concert, Sachs Award of the American Musical shared with voice and lute Instrument Society. duo Canto e Alaúde, took Von Huene’s comments to the gath- place at the main church ering of flutists pointed out that his first of Salir on September 27. flute was a recorder, an alto given to him The Renaissance dances included an allemande by Claude Gervaise and two pieces by an aunt. After starting with German by Thoinot Arbeau—“Basse Dance” and “Bouffons”—as well as quintets by folk songs, he progressed to playing Anthony Holborne from 1599: a pavana, an almaine and three galliards including Bach, Handel, and Telemann. When his “The Sighes,” “As it fell on a holie eve” and “Heigh ho holiday.” family was forced to flee from its farm in The 2004 Encontro de Música Antiga de Loulé included seven concerts, among northern Germany, to escape the ad- them a spectacular recital by Brisk Recorder Quartet of Amsterdam. One of the vancing Russian army, he took the members of Brisk, Bert Honig, gave a master class in which nine students participated, recorder with him. presenting works by J.S. Bach (BWV 1031), Telemann (the trio sonata, “The Heroines,” At age 17 he borrowed a Boehm flute plus the fourth Methodical Sonata), Quantz (a sarabande with doubles), and J.M. from his younger brother, and began Hotteterre (the passacaile from the first suite for two alto recorders). playing Mozart, Haydn and eventually The whole ensemble also participated in the master class, playing a Pavana even Hindemith on it. After moving to Passamezzo for six (Hessen Brothers, Breslau, 1555) and a piece for cori spezzati by the U.S. in 1948, he took up Baroque Michael Praetorius from 1608, In Dulci Jubilo. flute when asked to play that instrument on a piece with the Boston Celebrating 25 Years! Camerata—on a Baroque flute that he had made for the ensemble only a year earlier. “Of course, I could not blame the In 1979 J.D. Wall published Don Muro’s instrument if I did not do a good job.” The King’s Highroad, the first commercially published Later, he said, “Playing a silver flute composition for recorders with synthesizer accompaniment. for three years in the Air Force made me a U.S. citizen. Four years of apprentice- To our dealers and our friends in ARS: ship in the workshop of Mr. Powell made Thank you for 25 years of support! me into an instrument maker.” He pointed out that the Baroque Accompaniments for the following ensemble publications have been flute, or German flute, and the recorder, or English flute, may be appreciated remastered and are now available on CD: today as distinct instruments because of The King's Highroad (SS opt AT) RM1KCD $11.95 CD $9.95 their differences. “Not every tenor wants A Touch of Spain (SS opt AT) RM2KCD $11.95 CD $9.95 to sing like Pavarotti, and not every flute Capriol’s Caper (S opt ATB) RM3KCD $11.95 CD $9.95 player wants to play like Galway.... Recorder Rock (S opt AT) RM4KCD $11.95 CD $9.95 To play the 18th century music on 18th century instruments gives us a special NEW! appreciation of style which can be com- CONCERT SUITE E pared to sailing into Massachusetts Bay Six performance pieces for beginning and intermediate players. Each on a replica of the Mayflower, instead of piece has two parts - a basic part with a limited note range, and an cruising in the Caribbean on a modern intermediate part for more advanced players. The pieces include yacht.” several musical styles and can be performed individually or as a suite. (For an interesting interview in which Listen to audio excerpts at www.jdwallpublishing.com! von Huene recounts more about his early RM16KCD Score and CD $16.95 RM16EP Economy Pack (10 scores) $19.95 experiences with both playing and making recorders and flutes, see Susan Thompson’s J.D. Wall Publishing Co. discussion with him in the January 1999 www.jdwallpublishing.com American Recorder.)
14 American Recorder David Goldstein Remembered The life of David Goldstein—pediatrician, composer, arranger, musician, poet, artist, uncle and friend—was celebrated at Corpus Christi Church in New York City, NY, on the afternoon of Septem- ber 12. Judith Davidoff of the Viola da Gamba Society of Greater New York, and Michael Zumoff of the New York Recorder Guild organized the concert and memorial on behalf of those two event co-sponsors. The afternoon featured music composed or arranged by Goldstein, as well as reminiscences by his friends and family. The program included works for viols, recorders, flute, bassoon, ARS President Alan Karass, Goldstein’s longtime friend Alan voice and organ. Savoy Suite, an arrangement of Gilbert and Ginsberg, and concert organizers Michael Zumoff and Judith Sullivan tunes, featured Susan Davidoff posed behind memorabilia from Goldstein’s life. Iadone, Judith Wink, Henry Zehner and Zumoff. John DeLucia and Amy Herbitter performed the inventive and witty Southwest of Baroque, which featured a closing gigue, “O My Name is Wyatt Earp,” with a running gun battle. Deborah Booth and Morris Newman played flute and bassoon on two songs, Seal Lullaby and The Laurel’s Egg. Viola da gamba players included Davidoff, Jane Furth, Rita Kaplan, Virginia Kaycoff, Lawrence Lipnik, Margaret Panofsky, Jillian Samant, Lisa Terry, Thomas Thies and Edward Truettner. Lawrence Rosenwald narrated Goldstein’s Psalm 23; countertenor Jeffrey Dooley sang Psalm 130; and Pedro d’Achino performed on the church’s organ. ARS President Alan Karass, Board member Richard Carbone, Goldstein’s niece Kirsten Bar- rere, his nephew Joel Goldstein, Rita Kaplan and Alan Ginsberg shared personal reminiscences of David. They spoke of his poetry and music, freely given to friends; the hours that he shared with his young family members; and his modesty at learning he was to be honored as the first recipient of the ARS Presidential Special Honor Award in 2003.
Larry Lipnik, Wendy Powers and Deborah Booth (l to r) visited at the reception follow- ing the memorial concert honoring David Goldstein. (Photos by Rebecca Arkenberg)
November 2004 15 Shopping for a Tenor? re you thinking about purchasing a responsiveness on high and low notes. Comparing A tenor recorder? In my teaching at Minor tuning problems can usually be home and at workshops, I have met many fixed. people who wanted help in choosing a The next most important factors are Mass-produced recorder. spacing of holes and weight, especially The tenor presents more challenges if the player’s hands are small. Fortunate- Tenor Recorders than some others, by virtue of its size and ly, there are solutions for small-handed keys. I hope that this article and the people who have fallen in love with a accompanying chart will be of help as you recorder with widely-spaced holes. A tech- try out new instruments. nician can add a key to most holes, or in In comparing mass-produced tenor the case of plastic, turn the head joint in- recorders, I used a set of criteria that in- to a bent neck. I recommend adding a key cluded tone (general and specific); high rather than getting a bent-neck instru- and low note responsiveness and clarity; ment, because the bent-neck tenors I tried hole spacing, with thought for smaller encouraged poor posture and didn’t do hands; weight; and price. General com- well in the tone category. ments and my personal opinions and For those who need a key on the sixth recommendations supplement ratings in (double) hole, solutions are harder to each of these categories. find, although not impossible. At the Von Although my findings may be helpful Huene Workshop, a remedy is now being in general as you look for a tenor, I strong- sought for this problem. ly encourage that you try many different If a recorder weighs too heavily on your recorders yourself, preferably with the thumbs, put a movable thumb-rest on it help of a teacher or other professional to help your right thumb. If it’s still too recorder player. If you live where ongoing heavy, keep looking. private recorder instruction is not avail- It’s important that you try recorders able, try to attend a summer or weekend yourself with the help of a good, objective by Letitia Berlin workshop and ask for assistance from one set of ears—those of your teacher or an- of the recorder faculty. Take along instru- other accomplished player. This process The author teaches recorder and ments to try there, or make arrangements takes time and should be considered the coaches ensembles in California and ahead of time to borrow specific instru- same as a lesson if your teacher helps you. at workshops around the country, including ments from any recorder business that is I usually ask a student to have several the Amherst Early Music Festival, displaying its wares during the workshop. instruments sent at the same time, with Port Townsend Early Music Workshop, All instruments are different, so bear in permission from the vendor to keep them Oregon Coast Recorder Society mind that the Küng Superio I tried will be for a couple of weeks. I ask the student to spring workshop, and the Hidden Valley different from the one you try, and the try the recorders before the lesson, decide Institute of the Arts Elderhostels and Yamaha wooden tenor I try today will be which qualities are best in each instru- Early Music Seminars. different from the one I try tomorrow. ment, and then bring them to the lesson, Valuable help for this article was given where I play each instrument while the Ms. Berlin performs regularly with by Nik von Huene of the Von Huene student’s eyes are closed. Then we deter- the Farallon Recorder Quartet and Workshop/ Early Music Shop of New Eng- mine together if the same instrument is the recorder duo Tibia. She received land and Bill Lazar of Lazar’s Early Music, still the favorite—plus the pros and cons a master’s degree in early music both of whom let me try tenors from their of each instrument. performance practice from shops. If necessary, more recorders are or- Case Western Reserve University Hand-made recorders, modified mod- dered on approval. The goal is to find an and a bachelor of music degree in ern recorders, Renaissance-style recorders instrument in the student’s price range piano performance from the and Renaissance recorders would warrant that feels good when being played, and University of North Carolina separate articles on their own and are not sounds good. The secret ingredient of at Greensboro. Her mentors included in this comparison. the perfect match is unique to each player. and teachers have included If you feel happy when you play an Inga Morgan, Frances Blaker, The Process instrument, use that one as a benchmark Marion Verbruggen and Carol Marsh. For me, the most important considera- that the others have to beat. Keep in mind tions when buying an instrument are the all the details I write about here, Ms. Berlin serves on the Board of kind and quality of tone I can produce but use your gut reaction as the primary the American Recorder Society. on that instrument, and the instrument’s decision-maker.
16 American Recorder The Instruments The tenors compared in this article range in approximate price from $80 to $1400. My personal favorite tenors are the In comparing the tone of the Küng neck plastic Yamaha (available from Bill Yamaha maple Baroque model ($719 Superio (above) and the rosewood Moeck Lazar, $100), the Mollenhauer Canta and up), and the Moeck Hotteterre with the comparably-priced Yamaha bent-neck (starting at $373), and the ($1008 to $1400). maple, I found that the Küng was strong Küng Studio bent-neck (starting at $333), The Yamaha maple tenor throughout its range with a warm and or any tenor modified with extra keys by (left) is comparable in price to direct sound, though lacking in the one of several skilled craftspeople. the Küng Superio (discussed in subtlety and possibilities of tonal variation Neither the Mollenhauer Canta nor the the middle price range, below), of the Yamaha. Küng Studio came anywhere close to but has much more tonal The Küng Superio is a real workhorse, satisfying my tone requirements, though variety. and a good choice for someone who needs the Canta did have a full sound. The The one complaint I’ve heard a Baroque-style tenor that can blend in Canta was breathy and rough (but full), about the Yamaha is that it can be consort playing. and the Studio was rough, flat lower in pitch than some other The tone of the rosewood Moeck Rot- and unfocused. The bent-neck recorders. My inclination would tenburgh was a little breathy but warm, Yamaha plastic beat both these be to tell the other players to pull softer than the Küng and with subtler tone wooden recorders hands-down out a little—but that’s not always colors. The Küng and the Moeck Rotten- in the tone category. possible, for example, if you burgh were both nice instruments with If you prefer wood and a are playing with single-piece very different tone colors. bent neck, I recommend the Renaissance recorders. Another tenor in the $600 and up cat- Küng Studio (right), but The Moeck Hotteterre egory is the Mollenhauer Dream tenor. I prefer one of the top three (below left) is the best of any mass- I was disappointed in the ones I tried. wooden recorders with extra produced tenor I have tried so far. While I’ve enjoyed playing the Dream keys added. The Yamaha would have been soprano and alto, and found a gorgeous To sum up, my favorites of best, if I hadn’t tried the Dream alto in ebony recently, this pear- the instruments I tried were: Hotteterre. If you have the money, wood tenor was heavy, clogged immedi- · the Moeck Hotteterre the Hotteterre is a good buy, ately, and had a breathy, unfocused tone. tenor and the Yamaha considering that many hand-made Although the low notes spoke with great maple tenor in the $700 tenors cost in the $2000 range difficulty, the high notes spoke easily and and up price range and up. strongly. The right hand holes were very · the Moeck Rottenburgh Of the recorders in the middle close together, a plus for the small hand. in boxwood in the $500 price range of the low $500s to the Since I have tried and loved hand- range mid-$700s, my favorites were the made Dream recorders by Adriana · the Yamaha plastic in the Küng Superio with two keys and Breukink, I would have to urge Mollen- range below $500. a boxwood Moeck Rottenburgh hauer to institute consistent quality con- The Küng Superio is a nice with double holes instead of trol on the factory-produced Dreams. tenor for someone wanting a keys. (Also, after completing the tests for this strong, direct sound without The boxwood Moeck Rotten- article, I tried another Dream tenor, and it subtle tonal possibilities. burgh listed for a low of $489 and proved my point that all recorders are Once a recorder does well in a high of $509.50. I liked this different, even the same make and wood. the tone category, it must also instrument better than a more expensive This one played beautifully throughout do well in the others. For those rosewood version of the same model with the range and the keys worked smoothly.) of you who need concessions keys. Another big disappointment in the for hand size, have a key added The prices for the Küng Superio ranged $600-$700 range was the Mollenhauer to the fourth hole (by Lee from the high $600s to the mid-$700s. Denner in palisander wood ($678). The Collins of Collins & Williams, tone was breathy, the recorder clogged or another technician), or get immediately, the high notes were raspy, the plastic Yamaha tenor with a bent neck For recorders under $489, and the low C was weak. (available from Lazar’s Early Music for none compared favorably For recorders under $489, none com- $100). No bent-neck recorder pared favorably in any category with the I tried provided a satisfactory experience. in any category with the plastic Yamaha (about $80, with two Please remember that a different plastic Yamaha (about keys). I highly recommend this plastic recorder of the same make and model tenor. might give different results. And don’t $80, with two keys). For the small-handed or short-torsoed forget—ask a teacher to help you, and player, the choice lies between the bent- listen to your gut instincts.
Please turn to the next page for a comparison chart of the recorders tested for this article.
November 2004 17 Honeysuckle Music
Recorders & accessories ... Music for recorders & viols
Jean Allison Olson 1604 Portland Ave. St. Paul, MN 55104 651.644.8545 [email protected]
18 American Recorder Friedrich von Huene, the well-known recorder maker, was awarded the 2003 Curt-Sachs-Award of the American Musical Instruments Society (AMIS)
ROTTENBURGH REACHING THE LEVEL OF MASTERCLASS
Design: Friedrich von Huene These recorders, built after the instruments made by Jean-Hyacinth-Joseph Rottenburgh are true allrounders who remain reliable and easy to play even after extensive use.
Instruments from left to right: sopranino: ebony, soprano: palisander, alto: pearwood stained, tenor: castello-boxwood, bass: natural maple. Also available in olive and rosewood.
For more information on our recorders please order our catalogues RECORDERS RECORDERS
FOR CHILDREN, BEGINNERS, STUDENTS FOR ADVANCED, AND ADVANCED MOECK MUSIKINSTRUMENTE + VERLAG AND PROFESSIONAL RECORDERS PLAYERS PLAYERS Postfach 3131 • D-29231 Celle Lückenweg 4 • D-29227 Celle Tel.: +49-5141-8853-0 • Fax: +49-5141-8853-42 E-Mail: [email protected] www.moeck-music.de Wooden Fluijten in Beverwijck, A Dutch Colony in the New World by Susan E. Thompson ot long ago, while considering when J. G. van Marcken and his wife Geertje NEuropean recorders might first have Huybertse came over on the good ship entered the New World, I discovered an St. Jacob in 1654. In 1657, he received a inventory of clothing and household patent for a lot near Fort Casimir (near items that offers provisional evidence for present-day New Castle, DE), and is recorders having arrived here as early as recorded as being an inhabitant of New 1664. Amstel (the subsequent name for Fort I initially came into contact with this Casimir) in 1659. Banished from there, inventory while thumbing through he traveled north to the Hudson River Jonathan Pearson’s Early Records of the Valley. City and County of Albany, and Colony In 1662, he became farmer of the ex- of Rensselaerswyck: 1656-1675—a cise (collector of taxes on consumable collection of documents, surviving from alcoholic beverages) in Beverwijck (rough- 17th-century settlements in the Hudson ly “Beavertown,” later renamed Albany, River Valley, which have been translated NY). In 1673, he was appointed sheriff into English from the original Dutch by (Schout-Fiscals) of Schenectady, where he the author. Most of these documents are is known to have resided for several years. deeds that record the purchase of land from Indians or the transfer of patents The Two Inventories (i.e., parcels of land) between early Pearson does not convey to his reader why colonists. But the collection also contains the inventory of December 1663 was a small number of contractual agreements necessary. Obviously it was not a that record the business of everyday liv- post-mortem accounting of effects, for ing, like the drawing up of conveyances, Van Marcken had not died. He was, in fact, the settling of estates, the designating of very much alive when the inventory was powers of attorney, etc. undertaken. Quite possibly, the inventory was necessitated by position. Given that Van Had he not complicated Marcken served as farmer of the excise, he matters by seeking items could have been accused of misconduct or misdealings. If so, then his possessions from this restricted piece would have fallen under the scrutiny of town officials, who then insisted that an of furniture, a second inventory be carried out. inventory of his This first inventory lists the contents of a clothes chest: sundry items of clothing, possessions would household linens and an ivory tobacco never have been box. Also listed are “goods which hang loose about the house,” such as a looking necessary. As it stands, glass (mirror), a hollow cane, books, pic- this second inventory tures, guns, pocket pistols, tongs, etc. When the men who had been obliged includes several items to take this inventory had finished their task, they sealed the clothes chest so that not listed in the first. Van Marcken would not have access to its contents. Just how they went about seal- Buried amidst this assortment of deeds ing the chest is unknown, but surviving The author teaches recorder at and contracts are two inventories denot- documentation indicates that the chest Yale University, where she is ing the possessions of Jan Gerritse van was sealed at the time of their departure. director of The N.Y.A.R.E. Marcken, a Dutchman who came to Amer- Whatever their intentions, their efforts (Not Your Average Recorder Ensemble) ica in the 1650s. The first inventory dates were all in vain. Sometime between and is Curator of the Yale Collection from the “11th of December, 1663;” the December 1663 and the following March, of (Historical) Musical Instruments, second, from the “25th of March, 1664.” Jan Gerritse van Marcken broke the seal,
20 American Recorder therefrom.” Had he not complicated to great commercial advantage in the 17th matters by seeking items from this and 18th centuries because of its capacity Thus, it can be surmised restricted piece of furniture, a second to transport exceptionally large amounts inventory of his possessions would never of cargo. Although it is tempting to think that the 10 houte fluijten have been necessary. As it stands, this that the “10 houte fluijten” mentioned in second inventory includes several items the Van Marcken inventory may have in the Van Marcken not listed in the first. had something to do with trading rigs— Included in the 1664 inventory are specifically, models thereof, it is doubtful inventory were musical “Loose Goods,” such as earthen platters, that they did. pewter plates, a pewter mug, large wine As Venema observes, “If they were ship instruments and not glasses, iron scissors, a copper lamp, a models, there would have been an copper kettle, and a copper smoothing explanatory word describing them as toys iron. Also listed are some items found in a or such. Actually, I have never seen any ref- ship models. separate chest: 20 girls’ and boys’ caps erences to ship models in my work with and some gloves, 10 wooden flutes the Beverwijck manuscripts.” Thus, it can (fluyten), a pair of yellow child’s stockings, be surmised that the 10 houte fluijten in assorted men’s and women’s clothing, a the Van Marcken inventory were musical boat pilot’s book, and two compasses. instruments and not ship models. So, if the houte fluijten were not models, Fluyten or Fluijten? Recorders or were they recorders or flutes? “Most likely Transverse Flutes? recorders,” observes the woodwind histo- It was the word fluyten in this last section rian David Lasocki, who points out that of the inventory that caught my eye. “the word fluijten ...up to and beyond that Fluyten??? time was not ambiguous. It always meant Had fluyten been the word used by the recorders, at least as far as I’ve been able to author of the original inventory in 1664? determine from period documents, in- Or, had the word actually been “fluijten” cluding those mentioned on my web site, (an earlier, but orthographically sound,
November 2004 21 An Even Earlier Reference to a Flute in the New World? Illustration 2: Detail of an oil painting When I first stumbled across the entry of entitled Dutch Interior by Quirin 10 houte fluijten in the Van Marcken (Quiringh) Gerritsz van Brekelenkam inventory, I wondered if it might not con- (c.1620-1668), depicting a young boy stitute the earliest known reference to playing a wooden descant recorder (with flutes or recorders in Dutch colonies of left hand over right, seen in detail at left). the Hudson River Valley. How exciting it The interior of Dutch households in the would be if that were so! colony of Beverwijck may well have With high hopes, I broached the resembled that illustrated here. subject with Janny Venema who, after Copyright, Marischal Museum, apologetically quelling my enthusiasm, University of Aberdeen, Scotland. informed me that an even earlier reference to the fluijt could be found in a Beverwijck document dating from December 1660. Here it is noted that a man by the name of Claes Marechael left the alehouse of Pieter Bronck one Sunday evening “befuddled but in a good humor with a big flute in his pocket.” For more information, see: Jonathan Pearson, Early Records of the City and County of Albany [New York], and Colony of Rensselaerswyck: 1656-1675 (Albany, NY: J. Munsell, 1869), pp. 75, 296, 340, 343-44; Jacob van Eck [Eyck], Der Fluyten Lust-Hof (Amsterdam, 1649), introductory pages; and Janny Venema, Beverwijck: A Dutch Village on the American Frontier, 1652-1664 (Verloren/State of New York University Press, Hilversum/Albany NY, 2003), p. 312; or the web site of the New Netherland Project,
22 American Recorder EDUCATION ______Extending teaching past the method book
ike most teachers, I have used This product is $19.95 and works on the free scores. One of my favorites is L a variety of method books in my principle of pure intonation. When used the Choral Public Domain Library, teaching. While I base the majority of my in conjunction with electronic tuners,
November 2004 23 RESPONSE ______A correction, thumb-rests redux, ______and breathing across Antarctica
Credit where credit is due The sounds of... Song” with its moving text by Marcia Reine-Marie Verhagen wrote to correct a Many thanks for your review of Kathryn Anderson, “And the sweet rain of heaven mistake in the September AR article that und Peter durchqueren die Antarktis in the turns black with my tears for the children describes the 2003 performance of a flute [September] American Recorder. who are not, are not.” A member of the ensemble work by Steve Reich that she has The music recording session was inter- viol group Parthenia who worked with us transcribed for recorders: “When we esting. In addition to the studio mics, we on the songs for voice and viol praised the worked at The Hague on Vermont Counter- had lapel mics taped to our cheeks specif- composer’s sensitive setting of the texts. point, we did this with the students of the ically so that the breathing sounds could The instrumental pieces are equally school. The solo part was performed by a be heard—walking thousands of kilome- satisfying. While the songs are primarily student; I made the transcription and I ters across Antarctica in atrocious weather for voice and viol, the instrumental pieces [led] the rehearsals.” The article reported conditions is hard work, and that had to mostly feature the recorder. “Mary’s that she had performed the solo part in be heard. Dance” has a lyrical melody in 6/8, while that live ensemble premiere. Having spent years learning to breathe the “Dance of the Animals” moves from She also reported that, in September, efficiently and quietly, it was a bit of a 6/8 to 7/8, challenging us to imagine one she played the version with tape (the same shock to be asked to make as much breath- animal or another. In the “Song of the arrangement premiered in Vermont last ing noise as possible. Wise Men,” recorders and viols share the summer) in The Hague, a European pre- With best wishes, mesmerizing Middle Eastern melody with miere of that scoring for soloist with tape. Peter Bowman, Tonbridge, England its tricky 7/8 rhythm. The “Shepherds Song” works well on all recorders, creating More on resting your thumbs In praise of Mary a visual picture of a shepherd with his In response to Anthony Rowland-Jones's We were very disappointed in the review pipe. letter in the [September] AR, I'd like to add by Valerie Hess [in the September AR] We found this [cantata] required a lot my approval to his suggestion that of Will Ayton’s Mary Danced. The Engel- of hard work to perform well. While it moveable plastic thumb-rests are a good chor Consort and La Spirita, based in looks fairly straightforward on the surface, alternative to the permanent kind. A big Princeton, NJ, have joined together to per- every part has some difficult passages and advantage to using them is that one often form this work five times over several years unusual rhythms, including the voice. The finds that there is no "permanent" place and found it one of the most satisfying real challenge is in putting it together. Nev- for a thumb-rest, particularly on a tenor works we have ever performed. The ertheless, we found it definitely worth the recorder. It's useful to be able to move it audience response has always been very effort! The work takes approximately 55 around. There is a risk of scratching when enthusiastic—a professional musician minutes to perform. used with wooden recorders, but this can who heard it said, “I have heard a lot of We hope that many more groups will be prevented by putting moleskin on the Christmas music in my day, but nothing to discover, play and perform this marvelous, edges. compare with this.” challenging, moving, fun and inspiring Moveable plastic thumb-rests are This work is about Mary, and presents work. carried by Courtly Music and others, as the events of the Nativity from the unusu- Mary Benton, Patricia Hlafter, Elizabeth well as Rhythm Band. al perspective of her reflections, “…Mary Horn, Judith Klotz, Mary Elizabeth I want our readers to know also that kept all these things and pondered them Stewart, Amy Warren and Joan Wilson, Courtly Music has a stand for bass in her heart.” For this reason, we have Princeton, NJ recorders. It is called a Shaw Universal found that this cantata works well in the Bass Floor Rest, and is, of course, adapt- season of Epiphany. We have never heard Keeping up with Alec able. It's a great alternative to neck straps! any negative comments about the particu- [In response to the letter from Alec V Martha Bixler, New York City, NY lar order of the pieces, for example, that Loretto in the September AR], apparently, the “Song of the Wise Men” comes before my old sparring partner Alec Loretto does Another use for AR covers the “Shepherd’s Song.” That said, howev- not know the meaning of "apparently" I love the cover of [the September] issue so er, except for the “Prelude” and the or "error." I wish he would make his much that I've torn it off and placed it on “Postlude,” the pieces could be performed knowledge of the sources more apparent, the cover of my trio book. This beautiful in any order. so that truth may prevail unaided by photo greets me each time I glance at the Each of the five songs is a gem. Espe- letters to the editor. music stand. Please give my congratula- cially noteworthy are “Joseph’s Song,” David Lasocki, Bloomington, IN tions to the photographer [William Stick- which includes a marvelous dialogue ney], and much appreciation for such an between the voice and the bass viol; the Responses from our readers are welcomed and may outstanding choice of covers. “Ave Maria”—three beautifully interwov- be sent to American Recorder, 7770 South High St., Centennial, CO 80122. Janice Arrowsmith, Trenton, NJ en parts (our tenor viol players fought over Letters may be edited for length and consistency. who got to play this!); and “Rachel’s
24 American Recorder ON THE CUTTING EDGE ______Recorders and organs: friends or foes?
any musicians assume that the organ. Jody also included my suite For I think the Rosales organ was a special Mrecorder and the pipe organ are nat- Solo Recorder on the program. case, requiring us to thin out the ural allies. It is true that the small, movable Because my schedule did not allow me registration in many of the passages. If we “continuo organs,” used widely in concert to attend what I am sure was a superb pro- couldn’t thin out the sound enough, we by early music ensembles, work well with gram, I wanted to find out more about the simply chose a different registration alto- recorders. These lightly-voiced boxes of preparation, problems and solutions used gether. Once again, we kept timbre in mostly wooden pipes do not overwhelm by Jody and his organist, Jonathan mind; we chose not to use registrations the low register of the recorder. Such DeLoach (who is also an accomplished where the recorder and organ sound com- organs are based primarily on flute tone, recorder player). Jody graciously agreed to pletely blended. and I can attest that they can provide an be interviewed via e-mail, and he has pro- TB. Did you find yourself playing in any excellent accompaniment to the recorder. vided illuminating answers to questions different way from what you normally do? If However, most churches do not have about recorder and organ performance. so, can you describe what you did differently? such small organs. Pipe organs in church- TB. Can you describe the acoustics of St. I think that composers choose instru- es and concert halls are often quite large Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, ment combinations based on the qualities and voiced to project sound into rooms of and the organ located there? and timbres of those instruments. Since considerable size. In such circumstances, JM. St. Bart’s, as we call it around here, the organ and recorder can blend almost the recorder player and organ accompa- is one of the most acoustically-desirable too well at times, I treated the recorder as nist must seek out organ tone that com- spaces in Atlanta. The church has an a modern chamber instrument, using vi- plements and balances the recorder part. active musical program, and the nave is brato and dynamics as necessary to stress Many organs in fact contain stops about 10 years old. The organ was the individuality of the two solo instru- labeled “Recorder,” which is usually a installed and dedicated just a couple of ments. The live acoustical environment lightly-voiced flute stop of two-foot pitch years ago. It is a Rosales organ that is quite required more attention to articulations. (sounding two octaves above the notated large. pitch). But this does not mean that many TB. How easy or difficult was it for you larger organs adapt readily to the recorder and your organist to adjust to the instrument Jody Miller as a solo instrument. Many of the softer and the acoustics? performing organ stops—such as the “Aeoline,” Because of the size of the instrument during the “Unda Maris” or “Dolce” stops—possess and the successful attempt to install the 2002 ARS a timbre that sounds good in music of the best organ for the space, balance was cer- Great Romantic era, and do not work well with tainly an issue. Jonathan DeLoach (my Recorder early music. Many of the louder stops— “recorder twin,” as the locals know us) Relay in principals and reeds—are too powerful to played organ and came up with creative Berkeley, CA partner with the recorder. registrations. I can’t say that it was difficult It is a dilemma that many recorder to make this work with the combination of players must confront when asked to instruments, but we had to go into the perform in church or concert hall spaces process completely willing to ignore any of with organs. As both a recorder player and your suggestions for registrations. organist, I had long considered the chal- TB. What alterations to the score— lenge of creating new music for recorder range, dynamics, organ registration— and organ. did you find necessary? Finally, I took the plunge and early this I found that the first movement, scored year completed my Sonata da Chiesa for soprano recorder, was written fairly (“Church Sonata”), which I dedicated to low. With the organ in St. Bart’s, there the excellent Atlanta-based recorder were only a few measures where the TB. What recorders did you play? player Jody Miller (this magazine’s very soprano recorder stood any chance at all I used a Von Huene Rippert copy alto in own Education Editor!). to be heard. I substituted an alto recorder grenadilla, a Moeck Rottenburgh copy On this past July 31, Jody presented a for the entire movement. I had to go into soprano in blackwood, and a concert at Saint Bartholomew’s Episcopal the third octave of the instrument, but it Yamaha Rottenburgh copy plastic tenor. Church in Atlanta, GA, with the Ritornel- was not a huge challenge. I was even sur- I experimented with some Ganassi-style lo Baroque Ensemble. Featured were prised that some of the fingerings of the recorders and some Renaissance-style Renaissance, Baroque and contemporary passages of sextuplets and sixteenth notes recorders, but there were problems tuning works for recorders and strings, as well as were easier on alto. the temperament or there were range the premiere of my piece for recorder and issues.
November 2004 25 TB. How much rehearsal time did you ment. The subsequent performance was for how the other player interprets the mu- and Jonathan spend on the piece? Was all successful. Honestly, though, the organ sic. I got a ton of phrasing ideas from rehearsal time spent in the church? was too large for us to use it to its full Jonathan this way. I am not much of a keyboard player at expressive capabilities. The most obvious (but easily over- all, but I played through the organ score looked) advice is to have someone else some on my own first. Jonathan and I used listen to you play together several times a practice organ at Emory University just As with any combination before you perform. I am never keen on for rhythmic work. After that, we practiced of instruments, one of the “giving away” a new piece of music before only in St. Bart’s. The first step was to get the audience hears it for the first time, but a good ensemble feel. When we were com- best rehearsal techniques it is necessary. Jonathan and I worked for fortable with this, we had a couple of trust- is to just listen to each several hours before taking advantage of ed musician friends listen and give feed- another set of ears. Many issues that we back about balance. other perform the music. thought were problematic were either TB. There were pieces by Frescobaldi, Before making an attempt minute or nonexistent. On the other Falconieri and Cima on the program. Was hand, there were some problems in places the organ used on any of these pieces, or any to combine two rehearsed where we suspected everything was fine. other place on the program? parts, get a feel for What an enjoyable piece to play! My We have a wonderful Mersenne gauge is always audience reaction. I try to French-model harpsichord by Willard how the other player choose music based on audience appeal. Martin at our disposal; instead of dealing In the end, they are not as concerned with the scheduling conflicts of getting in- interprets the music. about how difficult a piece of music is— to the nave to rehearse with another ac- they are much more interested in whether companist, Ritornello Baroque Ensemble TB. What advice can you give to recorder or not their experience of being captive in used the harpsichord as our continuo in- players regarding the preparation of a a performance hall was worth the effort. strument. recorder and organ performance? The audience enjoyed this rare combi- Brad Hughley, the organist at St. Bart’s As with any combination of instru- nation of instruments; it is certainly a played the Frescobaldi, Falconieri, and ments, one of the best rehearsal tech- shame that not much other contemporary Cima works with us on a mini-concert a niques is to just listen to each other per- chamber music for recorder and organ is couple of weeks later. We used the organ, form the music. Before making an attempt available. but Brad is very familiar with the instru- to combine two rehearsed parts, get a feel Tim Broege
26 American Recorder ______Q & A ______The role of a lutenist in a recorder ensemble, ______and the mystery of the reversed time signature
uestion: I am the director of a recorder sometimes have to drop parts an octave to nswer: I referred your question to Eric Q ensemble. A man who is learning to play place them in a comfortable range on the AHaas of the Von Huene the lute would like to join the group. lute. Workshop/Early Music Shop of New Eng- He is not yet an accomplished lutenist but He can also fill out chords over a bass land, which sells the edition you men- is an experienced jazz guitarist, so he can line if he is able to recognize what the tioned, and also to Martha Bixler, a long- probably learn quickly. How can I fit him in- chords are, but he should not change the time teacher of English country dance. to the ensemble? What kind of music should bass notes. Members of the ensemble with They both gave me the same answer, I expect him to play and what line(s) should more experience in harmony may be able which can be found in Jeremy Barlow, ed., he play?—Tinker Viets, Green Bay, WI to make suggestions about where it is ap- The Complete Country-Dance Tunes from propriate to add a chord and what the Playford’s Dancing Master: 1651-ca. 1728 nswer from Stephen Toombs: chord should be. (London: Faber Music, 1985). A The addition of a lutenist to your Stephen Toombs is the music librarian for In place of “cut time,” I will use the ensemble opens up all kinds of wonderful Case Western Reserve University. He studied 17th-century term, alla breve, which signi- possibilities, which are limited only by the lute and basso continuo with Toyohiko fies two half-note beats per measure. I will skill or ambition of your lutenist. If he is a Satoh at the Dutch Royal Conservatory in use “ ” to represent the usual alla breve beginning player or a beginner to ensem- The Hague. He directs his own quartet, signature (C with a vertical slash) and “/C” ble playing, I suggest that he see this as a Ensemble Lautenkonzert. to represent the signature written back- major learning opportunity. On the sim- wards. The preface of Barlow’s book states plest level, the lutenist can double a single The preface of Barlow’s that there is a clear difference between the part. Note that this will sometimes mean two time signatures, “/C” signifying a doubling the part down an octave to play book states that there is a much faster tempo than “ .” it in a comfortable range on the lute. clear difference between The difference is explained further in If he only plays from tablature, he Playford’s A Brief Introduction to the Skill of should intabulate his part [transcribe it to the two time signatures... Musick (7th edition, 1674): “Note that lute tablature] before beginning to play when this Common Mood is reversed to with the group, but he should also start to uestion: I am a beginning senior /C, it is to signifie that the Time of that Les- learn to read from pitch notation. Qrecorder player and am learning to read son or Song, before which it is to be set, is At first consider doubling one of the in- music. I have noticed cut-time signatures to be Play’d or Sung as swift again as the ner parts since these can sometimes be written backwards (and upside-down) in the usual Measure.” Translated into modern hard to hear in the texture of a quartet or London Pro Musica edition of Playford English, this statement means that “/C” larger ensemble. As the lutenist gains con- Dances, Vol. 1. Can anyone explain to me is twice as fast as “ .” In other words, “/C” fidence, he can try doubling the top line the significance of those signatures? signifies a fast duple tempo with one and adding some simple divisions. Mem- —Tony Elliott, Charleston, SC whole-note beat per measure. bers of the ensemble who have more expe- Carolyn Peskin rience with adding divisions may be able to make suggestions. If your lutenist is not yet an accom- plished player, I would suggest avoiding highly contrapuntal, rhythmically intri- cate pieces for the time being. Possible choices might be mid-16th-century dance music, Italian frottole and balletti, Parisian chansons, and English ayres. Early Music America Magazine is the quarterly For the dance repertoire, your lutenist publication for the Early Music Community in can add chords on major beats to help re- North America: Professionals, Students, and inforce the basic dance rhythm of the Audience members. piece. If he only plays from tablature, he should start by intabulating some of the Articles on performance practice, trends in the parts, such as the soprano, alto, and bass field, recording reviews, and a new book reviews lines in a quartet. As with doubling, he will department. Send questions to Carolyn Peskin, Q&A Editor, 3559 Strathavon Road, Shaker Heights, OH 44120; Call 888-722-5288 or email [email protected]
November 2004 27 MUSIC REVIEWS ______A short history of Telemann sonatas,Vivaldi arranged, ornamentation ______and a variety of styles of music of the present
COMPLETE ORIGINAL RECORDER longer. The sonata is not easy; the second Sonata No. 1, and a clunky realization SONATAS FOR ALTO RECORDER, BY movement requires virtuosic playing, and (usual in those days) of the figured bass. GEORG PHILIPP TELEMANN, ED. BERNARD the last leaps all around the instrument. For the two sonatas of Essercizii Musici, THOMAS. Dolce 0124 (Magnamusic), The third sonata, the B Major, is an we recorder players of the 1950s and ‘60s 2002. A and bc. Sc 67 pp, pts 32 pp oddity. Canonic throughout, it needs no relied on the C.F. Peters edition of 1939, and 24 pp. $27.50. Separately bound continuo realization. The fourth, the edited by Waldemar Woehl. This is also an recorder and continuo parts (0124-01 and F Minor, is perhaps the most beautiful of accurate Urtext edition, with no introduc- 0124-02) $8.50 ea. the sonatas. We recorder players, who tion, and even clunkier continuo realiza- At last! Here we have all of the now know that it was originally intended tions—worsened by being often written Telemann recorder sonatas under one for bassoon, do well to snatch it away for too high for the right hand of the keyboard roof, so to speak, in a fine new edition ed- ourselves. player, which is thus forced to compete ited by Bernard Thomas. As Thomas states The fifth and sixth sonatas are from an- with the recorder part instead of comple- in his preface, these are “core sonatas for other collection, Essercizii Musici, pub- menting it. (Of historical interest is the recorder players, deservedly so, because of lished in 1739-40. No. 5 in C Major has an fact that, as in other Peters editions of the composer’s admirable inventiveness interesting first movement. Here Tele- recorder sonatas of the time, a version is and refusal to rely on formulas. Eight of mann alternates Adagio and Allegro pas- provided of the recorder part for Blockflöte them come from three printed collections sages as in his Fantasias for solo alto in F, to be used by recorder players who engraved and published by Telemann recorder. No. 6, the D Minor, is another can’t learn F-fingering). himself, while the last sonata is found great favorite. It has a serious affect and is In 1974, Schott published Walter only in a manuscript in Brussels.” in strictly Italian style, like the first. The ex- Bergmann’s edition of Sonatas 1-4 from travagant ornamentation of the first move- Der getreue Music-Meister. Dr. Bergmann At last! Here we have all ment is supplied by Telemann himself. dealt with both the recorder and keyboard The seventh and eighth sonatas in the parts and wrote the informative preface in Dolce edition were pieced together by both English and German. (Bergmann is of the Telemann recorder Thomas from a printed collection, Neue the first modern editor to use Telemann’s Sonatinen fürs Clavier, violine, Flûte trav rather quirky spelling of Music-Meister.) sonatas under one roof. und Flûte à bec, 1731, which survived with Dr. Bergmann gives us helpful suggestions no bass part; and a manuscript of duet for articulation, which was beginning in Why are these sonatas so much loved sonatas for violin in Dresden that contains the ‘70s to be of interest to American by recorder players? Telemann was, as the same two pieces. They are in a very dif- recorder players. He also tells us much Thomas indicates, one of the best writers ferent galant style. This means changing more about the sonatas: that the canonic of his time for the recorder, certainly more affects, rather lighthearted slow move- sonata was originally for viola or viola da aware of its strengths than Handel. And ments, and a general lack of seriousness. gamba and continuo, and the F Minor Bach wrote no sonatas for recorder. The ninth sonata, back in the Italian sonata was really for bassoon. Sonatas 1-4 in this edition first ap- style, was found in a single manuscript In addition, Bergmann gives us the peared in Der getreue Music-Meister, a col- source. In F minor, it is given its tradition- original key signature of three flats for this lection of vocal and instrumental chamber al Baroque key signature of three flats. sonata. Suggestions for the performer music by Telemann that he published In all of his sonatas, Telemann shows include interpretations of the tempo himself in the year 1728 in two-week his love for the highest notes on the alto markings and a fingering for the high C in installments. No. 1, in F Major, is serious, recorder. the first sonata. Most welcome of all to me, in the Italian style throughout. It is short, There are plenty of other editions of the as a keyboard player, are the graceful having only three movements, with an af- six well-known Telemann recorder continuo realizations in this edition. fect that is easy to grasp. The performer sonatas; the notes are unchanging in all, as Bergmann was justifiably proud of his must be willing to master high F and G, each sonata comes from a single source. realizations, and he even exhorts the per- and the last movement contains a high C, The best modern edition of the four former, in his preface, to stick to what he the highest note written (in the 18th cen- sonatas from Der getreue Music-meister wrote and not to “spoil his (often hidden) tury) for the instrument. was for years the Hortus Musicus edition, ideas and the balance in sound by altering The second sonata in Thomas’s edited by Dietz Degen and published by the realizations.” edition, the C Major, has one of the pretti- Bärenreiter in 1941. The edition is The Amadeus edition of the four est first movements ever written for the reliable, with an informative preface (in Music-Meister sonatas, in four separate recorder, I believe. I always wish it were German), a fingering for the high C in volumes, was published in 1977. A wel-
28 American Recorder come addition, it gave English and Ger- There are two oddities in this edition: out for themselves. man prefaces, sparse yet melodic contin- the first is in the order given for the first six I found it odd that this arrangement uo realizations, and—oh, joy!—facsimiles sonatas, which differs from all the other has numerous sections marked “Tutti” of the original “lessons” in Telemann’s editions. This is probably unimportant, and “Solo” throughout the four move- publication. Seeing the facsimile solves except for the difficulties encountered ments of the concerto. When four people the puzzle of the two G’s an octave apart in when comparing different editions. The are playing, how does one distinguish be- the bass, in bar 22 of the first movement of other is that Thomas presents the F Minor tween “Solo” and “Tutti?” The obvious the F Major sonata—which is to play the sonata from Music-Meister with a key sig- way is by the use of dynamics, which Zahn upper G with the right hand. (Bergmann nature of only two flats, thus requiring the suggests. However, I found myself wanting only tells us that it is original, and that the addition of both A s and D s in the body of a group of eight or 12 players, which could reason for it should be obvious!) the piece for it to be in the key of F minor. play in a true tutti while also utilizing a true We even get, as a bonus, on the bottom I can’t see any justification for this; not solo quartet. of the facsimile page with the first move- only were there three flats in the original ment of the F Minor sonata, the duet for publication, but sometimes the notes in the “well-mannered” Houyhnhnms and both the recorder part and the realized This would be a great the “naughty” Yahoos from Telemann’s continuo do not agree with the figures in piece to take to a chapter rather nutty Gulliver-Suite for two violins. the bass. meeting, using several In the modern edition of this sonata, There is a tiny misprint on page ii of the Amadeus, like Schott, is slightly more echt preface: Essercizii Musici was published in people per part and than the Peters edition in showing the 1739-40, not 1539-40. designating four original bass clef for the recorder Martha Bixler (bassoon) part and showing also the origi- to be soloists. nal key signature of three flats. CONCERTO IN A MINOR, BY GEORG The chief merit of the newest (Dolce) PHILIPP TELEMANN, ARR. GRETE ZAHN. Therefore, this would be a great piece edition of the Telemann recorder sonatas Moeck 764/765 (Magnamusic), 2003. to take to a chapter meeting, using several is its completeness, with the addition of AATB. Sc 7 pp, pts 3 pp each. $10. people per part and designating four to be three more recorder sonatas to the well- The Trinity Consort was delighted with soloists. I think the contrasts would be known six. In his English preface, besides this piece, which has four movements: much more effective this way than at- the background of these sonatas, Thomas Gravement, Vistement, Largement, and tempting to produce them dynamically. gives us useful suggestions for interpreta- Vivement. It is based on Telemann’s This is wonderful music and a good tion. For those sonatas clearly intended for Concerto à 2 Flauti, 2 violini, viola e Basso, addition to your group’s library. another instrument, such as the F Minor the manuscript of which is in Dresden. for bassoon, he tells us it is not necessary Grete Zahn, the arranger, writes: “The idea to slavishly follow Telemann’s marks of ar- behind this adaptation for recorder quar- ticulation, which may well not apply to the tet was to make this music accessible to recorder. He even suggests that the D Mi- recorder ensembles. The two upper voices nor sonata from Essercizii Musici was orig- can be played without any alterations on inally for bassoon as well. This exempts treble recorders. Octave changes had to be the recorder player from the agonizing ne- made in the bass voice because of the wide cessity of applying the dynamics of p, pp, range. Due to the denseness of the score and f literally in the first movement. the tenor voice had to be adapted or Some of the sonatas have almost no changed accordingly…In the manuscript slurs or phrase-marks at all, and here articulation marks are to be found only in Thomas makes an interesting suggestion: the slow movements which have been take the sonatas from Telemann’s Method- completed correspondingly. In the fast ical Sonatas (Sonate Metodiche) of 1728 movements, apart from occasional slurs and 1734, and apply the lessons learned indicating triplets, no further articulation from them concerning phrasing and em- marks are notated. Missing trill signs and bellishment of slow movements to the breathing marks have been added by the present sonatas. He even provides, in the editor.” preface, useful examples from the Regarding the trill signs, students of Methodical Sonatas themselves. Baroque performance practice will know Robin Bigwood is responsible for the that many trill and other ornamentation Dolce continuo realizations. I found them signs were not routinely marked into the to be no better and no worse than many of music because it was expected that every- the others. I looked in this new edition for one knew where to add them. For exam- a solution to the problem of page-turns for ple, major leading tones were never left the keyboard player, but found that, as in bare, but were always appropriately orna- all the other editions, there is none for all mented to the tempo and style of the movements of all the sonatas. Photo- music. We could debate whether the edi- copied pages or the assistance of a page- torial trills are indeed complete, but I will turner are required for performance. let the members of your ensemble sort that
November 2004 29 AIR AND GAVOTTE FROM THE The one problem for me comes in the sociated with much more advanced and ORCHESTRA SUITE NO. 3, D MAJOR descending bass line where it culminates quite contemporary music. These include (BWV 1068), BY J. S. BACH, ARR. MARTIN with a low F . At that note, there is a little the flutter tongue and quartertone pitch NITZ. Moeck 762/763 (Magnamusic), asterisk that encourages one to “ad lib.” bending in the recorder parts, and the 2002. S/A A T B. Sc 9 pp, pts 2 pp each. Translation: if you don’t have it or can’t Bartok pizzicato, the glissando and the $10. play it, jump up. That long descending col legno for the violin. The violin parts are There is much debate in the world of bass line would be significantly interrupt- all written for the open strings, while the musical transcriptions. Some people love ed, in my estimation, by having to jump recorder parts have most of the melodic them; others hate them. Some pieces of the octave on the last note of the pattern. interest. Since this is for beginning music transfer nicely to another medium; Make sure that the “grace notes” are chamber players, a key or glossary of the others do not. We organists who have treated in Baroque style. The four 16th- markings would be helpful. played for weddings are very familiar with note patterns with preceding grace note Composer Patrick Guillem trained as a the organ transcriptions of these pieces, as need to be played as a grouping of five guitarist with Albert Ponce, Roland Dyens many wedding music books for organ con- even notes. Also, the trill at the end needs and Pierre Cullaz, and he is a solo per- tain one or both of these pieces. They to fit the tempo of the piece—not a sud- former with the Radio France ateliers. He make great pre-service music as well as den, fast fluttering, which would be un- has written several books, composed bal- processional and recessional options. In characteristic of the steady, flowing let music and a musical conte. Besides the hands of a sensitive recorder group, I rhythm that characterizes this wonderful teaching at the conservatory of Epinay- think this arrangement will work well, too. work. sur-Seine, he is a member of the Alborado The arranger, Nitz, writes in his brief Overall, this arrangement would make Trio and the Latin jazz group Camino. introduction: “Apart from the transposi- a nice addition to a group’s repertoire. Bill Linthwaite tion to G major and occasional octave Valerie E. Hess changes due to the range of the recorder, CHAMBER MUSIC FOR THREE this adaptation of the two movements IRIS, BY PATRICK GUILLEM. Editions TREBLE RECORDERS FROM THE from…BWV 1068…follows the original Combre C06122, (Theodore Presser), 14TH-18TH CENTURIES, ED. JÁNOS to the greatest possible extent. Articula- 2000. S & violin. 2 sc, 9 pp ea. $19.95. BALI. Editio Music Budapest (Presser), tion marks have been taken over from the This collection of nine pieces has been 2001. Sc 47 pp. $12.95. original…Neue Bach Asgabe…edition. composed as an introduction to chamber We thought this collection very fine Any further additions have been indicated music. One selection is for solo soprano and bon marché: 47 pages of music, sec- by dotted lines.” I appreciate that kind of recorder and one is for two recorders; the tioned by era, and laid out well. Including honesty in editing. For those of us who rest are duets for recorder and violin. various periods and composers, it con- want to come as close as possible to the The introduction says that these pieces tains some familiar tunes, but no clichés. original intent of the music, even as we will offer students a new consonance, en- Composers representing the Middle Ages play it on different instruments, it is help- large the repertoire, and encourage group are de Lescurel, Machaut, Landini and, of ful to know what Bach thought of the mu- teaching. Although they are simple in con- course, the mysterious Anonymous; those sic instead of only what an editor thinks. cept, they make use of certain more ad- for the Renaissance are Perusio, Busnoys, These are wonderful pieces and I rec- vanced techniques that, it is assumed, will Dufay, Brumel, Obrecht and Josquin; and ommend this set, especially for those of have already been taught. Therefore these for the Baroque are Constantin, Foucart, you who offer your group for weddings, duets are for beginning chamber musi- Mattheson, Dornel and Boismortier. with a couple of cautionary remarks re- cians rather than for beginners. Although only one piece in the collec- garding the “Air.” (The “Gavotte” is pretty The violin and recorder parts are both tion (Johann Mattheson’s Sonata, Op. 1, straightforward.) printed in score form and look exactly No. 9) was composed explicitly for First of all, make sure you have ensem- alike, one being stapled into the cover and recorders, János Bali wrote in his informa- ble members who can breathe well with the other an insert. tive and scholarly preface: “…it is almost notes held for a long time, and can play The tunes are lively and fun, and the certain that the rest of the pieces were also legato well. Playing a long measure of duet parts are well-written and simple, yet performed on recorders in those days.” whole notes in slow tempo on string very effective. They utilize various key sig- [Ed. note: This statement comes through instruments or on the organ is vastly un- natures, and most pieces also have acci- rather strong in translation: “…it is almost like playing it on a recorder. The danger dentals. Tempo markings are included for certain…” probably should read: “it is here will be in finding a tempo that isn’t every piece, and time indications in min- very possible…”.] too fast but isn’t so slow that your upper utes and seconds are shown at the end of Bali’s preface continues, “In the ensemble members are turning blue. every one. Average length of the pieces is Baroque era, it was customary to play Second, the bass player gets a rather slightly over one minute. Besides the usu- pieces for the flute (by Dornel and Bois- uninteresting part. It is the low strings/ al Italian musical terms, like piu mosso or mortier in the present volume) on the organ pedal part, which is an uninterrupt- molto rit., directions are in French. The recorder, transposed a third higher. From ed series of repeated eighth notes for the short preface to the edition has English the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, entire piece. However, it is an important and German translations, but a translation several descriptions and pictures provide part because the rhythm must be kept very of the French directions within the actual evidence of the fact that vocal pieces steady. (This is a good part for someone parts would also be helpful. were also rendered on instruments, who may be proficient on other recorders, There are ample and very clear mark- occasionally on recorders (the but has come to the bass recorder more ings to indicate bowings and other articu- composition In seculum was originally an recently.) lations, some of which are commonly as- instrumental one, and perhaps Obrecht’s
30 American Recorder hymn arrangement as well).” vides challenges in intonation. The edition Among the more famous examples of Also included in the preface are edito- is laid out well—only Partita 5 requires a musical arrangement in the Baroque peri- rial transpositions, modern metrical page turn, but it is between two sections. od are J.S. Bach’s keyboard reworkings of equivalents for mensural notation, and Barbara Duey, Jean Hopkins, several of Vivaldi’s violin concertos. These typography for French Baroque and Suzanne Niedzielska arrangements have been taken as justifica- ornaments, along with other pertinent tion for any number of modern transcrip- information, such as a comparison of CONCERTO PER QUATTRO FLAUTI tions of Baroque repertoire, both good and the French virelai and Italian ballata. AFTER THE CONCERTO IN D MI- bad. Vivaldi’s music, like that of J.S. Bach All of the pieces are accessible to inter- NOR, OP. 3 NO. 11, BY ANTONIO VIVALDI, himself, does often work quite well in tran- mediate players. From beginning to end, ARR. DANIEL BRÜGGEN. Moeck 2824 scription, since so much of its effect lies in we thought the balance between the three (Magnamusic), 2003. SSTB. Sc 12 pp, its rhythmic and harmonic vigor rather altos excellent—no player felt stepped on, pts 4 pp. $25. than in details of scoring. The arrange- crowded out, or outdone, and we could CONCERTO, OP. 8 NO. 1 “LA ments reviewed here are successful to hear all the parts all the time. Our group PRIMAVERA,” BY ANTONIO VIVALDI, varying degrees, but each gives recorder found that adding a bass to the lower part, ARR. JEAN CASSIGNOL. Noetzel N 3916 players an opportunity to enjoy some well- or playing all parts on bass, worked very (C. F. Peters), 2001. AAB/AAA/SAB/STB, known Baroque works “from the inside.” well for many of the pieces. Sc 16 pp, pts 10 pp. $16.95. Perhaps the most intriguing of these This edition is in score without parts. CONCERTO, OP. 8 NO. 2 “L’ESTATE,” transcriptions are the first three concertos The page layout is thoughtful and effi- BY ANTONIO VIVALDI, ARR. JEAN CASSIGNOL. from The Four Seasons, Vivaldi’s Op. 8. cient; only the “Chaconne” movement of Noetzel N 3931 (C. F. Peters), 2003. ATB, (Winter was submitted too late for review the Dornel Sonata required a page turn. Sc 19 pp, pts 9 pp. $18.95. with these three; a review of that concerto Our only musical complaint was the CONCERTO, OP. 8 NO. 3 “L’AUTUM- will appear in a future issue). Arranger unison end in the same sonata. NO,” BY ANTONIO VIVALDI, ARR. JEAN Jean Cassignol is well-known for his re- CASSIGNOL. Noetzel N 3909 (C. F. Peters), construction of Vivaldi’s Flautino Concer- PARTITA JESU, MEINE FREUDE, BY 2000. ATB, Sc 19 pp pts 7 pp. $14.95. to, RV312R. He knows the recorder well, JOHANN GOTTFRIED WALTHER, ARR. GRETE CONCERTO IN F MAJOR, OP. 10 NO. 1 and his arrangements capture the flavor of ZAHN. Moeck 758/759 (Magnamusic), “LA TEMPESTA DI MARE,” BY ANTONIO the originals well enough to be entertain- 2002. SAT. 2 sc 7 pp ea. $10. VIVALDI, ARR. DOMINIQUE GAUTHIER. ing for both performers and listeners. Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748) Gérard Billaudot G 7274 B (Theodore As inventive as he is at reproducing was a cousin of J. S. Bach and also Bach’s Presser), 2002. AAA, Sc 12 pp, pts 4 pp. string textures (through techniques such friend and pupil at Weimar. As a theorist, $19.95. as transposition to strong recorder keys or Walther is known for his extensive musical dictionary containing musical terms and biographies of musicians who lived before and during his time. As an organist and composer, he wrote over 100 chorale preludes, ranging from simple settings to chorale fugues and chorale partitas, of which this is one. His chorale variations are thought worthy of comparison with Bach’s, but also display techniques used by other German composers such as Böhm, Buxtehude, and Pachelbel. This Partita (suite) contains six move- ments (or “partitas”) based on the familiar chorale tune “Jesu, meine Freude” (Jesus, My Joy). Each movement has its own interesting and varied character. Partita 1 has a plain soprano line that the alto and tenor embellish contrapuntal- ly. Partita 2, perhaps the most charming one, gives the active line to the soprano. In Partita 3, all lines join in a flurry of seconds. In Partita 4, a lightly chromatic melody flows across the lines. Partita 5 offers sus- pensions with stepwise ornamentation in the soprano line. Partita 6 is the most rem- iniscent of J.S. Bach, with its surprising ac- cidentals and larger intervals. They are all appropriate for intermedi- ate players, but Partita 4 in particular pro-
November 2004 31 the changing instrumentation in the THE GRAMMAR OF ORNAMENT: grace-type ornaments individually in Spring concerto), three instruments ORNAMENTATION & EMBELLISH- some detail and including dozens of musi- simply do not have enough weight to cap- MENT IN THE LATE BAROQUE, BY cal examples, almost always in duet form. ture the wide range of effects employed by ERIC HAAS. Self-published (available from Many of these examples are arrangements Vivaldi. Spring should be well within the The Early Music Shop of New of pieces for a solo instrument with con- reach of an experienced intermediate en- England,
32 American Recorder nothing in common. But if one looks beyond surface characteristics, they do ARS Membership Enrollment and Renewal share something. While all three use tech- Please enroll/renew me as a member of the Society. I’m looking forward to: niques, notations and formal structures ✰ American Recorder, ARS Newsletter, and the ARS Members’ Directory that were pioneered in the avant-garde ✰ Members’ Library musical editions recorder music of the 1960s, each piece is ✰ Eligibility for the ARS Education Program examinations in its own way an attempt to find new ✰ Discounts to some recorder workshops and on ARS publications modes of expression for these devices. ✰ Mailings from suppliers of materials, music, instruments. (ARS list is made Malcolm Tattersall’s Franklin River is a available only to purveyors of goods and services for recorder players.) 12-tone work that is surprisingly melodic ✰ Information on all aspects of playing the recorder and almost Romantic in its esthetic. Its U.S./Canadian membership: most avant-garde aspect is its mobile ❏ one year $40; ❏ one year sustaining $70; ❏ two years $75 form, which allows the performer to make Foreign membership: ❏ one year $50; ❏ two years $95 choices in the selection and ordering of ❏ ❏ given material. This was used in many late- U.S./Canadian Student* membership: one year $20; two years $40 1960s works and is probably most familiar Foreign Student* membership: ❏ one year $25; ❏ two years $50 to recorder players through the *Enclose proof of full-time enrollment. still-popular Fragmente by Makoto Shino- Workshop membership: ❏ one year $60; Business membership: ❏ one year $120 hara (it was actually invented by American ❏ Address and/or phone information has changed in past year. composer Earle Brown, who was inspired ❏ Do not list my name in Directory. by Alexander Calder’s mobiles). But while All dues paid in U.S. funds by check on U.S. bank, or by international money order. Shinohara more typically applies this idea Family members residing at the same address may share a membership. However, to a set of fragments that are different from the student rate is not applicable to a shared family membership. For an additional each other except for an occasional listing in the ARS Directory under different surnames at the same address, add $5. “trope” (i.e., a brief insert consisting of Please check to be included on the ARS list of generic material from another fragment), ❏ Recorder teachers and/or ❏ Professional performers. (Since your recorder activi- Tattersall allows the performer a choice of ties may change, you must indicate on each renewal if you want to continue to be phrases (within each of the composition’s listed.) five movements) that are more or less vari- ❏ I wish to contribute $______to help sustain the work of the Society. ations of the same essence; Tattersall calls Please charge my dues/donation to my VISA/MASTERCARD: them “commentaries.” #______Exp. Date: ______Unlike Franklin River, Drake Mabry’s Cardholder’s signature______12.5.85 is not generated by a method or shaped by a melodic sense. It springs di- NAME______PHONE (______)______ADDRESS ______rectly from an extraordinary instrumental ______E-MAIL ______technique, its three movements being CITY______STATE ____ ZIP/POSTAL ______held together only by a generic similarity and a few recurring patterns that may sim- CHAPTER/CONSORT AFFILIATION, IF ANY:______ply be under Mabry’s fingers. OPTIONAL INFORMATION: For all its temporal distance from the Chapter officer or committee member? 1960s, it still has a cutting edge (or as is ❏ Yes (officer/committee: ______) ❏ No ❏ Have served chapter in past often said today, “bleeding edge”) avant- Age: _____ For how many years have you played the recorder? _____ garde feel. The second movement is more Level of recorder playing: ❏ Amateur ❏ Semi-professional ❏ Professional effective than the others, with its wild, Annual income: ❏ Under $10,000 ❏ $10,000-30,000 ❏ $30,000-50,000 continually building dynamism that ❏ $50,000-75,000 ❏ $75,000-100,000 ❏ Over $100,000 requires very fast reflexes and intense ❏ ❏ ❏ focus. The first and third movements also Portion of your income derived from music: All Some None have fast moments, but these are brief and Portion of music income derived from the recorder? ❏ All ❏ Some ❏ None sporadic, set amongst slow, sustained If all or some, what kind of recorder activities are involved? (Check all that apply.) passages. Throughout, Mabry utilizes the ❏ Teach privately ❏ Teach/lead workshops ❏ Teach elementary school music performer’s voice as a coloring device. ❏ Performance ❏ Recorder maker ❏ Musical director/coach Agnes Dorwarth’s Nein! (No!) is also ❏ Other ______built out of a super-virtuoso technique. What type of recorder music do you play? (Check all that apply.) The first of its three sections throws a bar- ❏ Medieval/Renaissance ❏ Baroque ❏ Modern/pop ❏ Folk ❏ Solo ❏ ❏ rage of sweeping fast runs and glissandos Recorder Orchestra Chamber music with other instruments (such as trio sonatas) ❏ Broken consort with other instruments (such as a collegium) at the listener. The second features rapid ❏ Consort involving three or more recorders playing one-on-a-part ❏ Grand consort staccato and sputato passages alternating (format used in many chapter meetings, with several recorders playing on each part) with slow, sustained material, interrupted by loud verbal declamations. The last AMERICAN RECORDER SOCIETY section is a perpetuum mobile that evolves 1129 Ruth Drive, St. Louis, MO 63122-1019 U.S.A. from, and sort of snakes out of, an Fax renewals to 314-966-4649 opening trill.
November 2004 33 These editions are beautifully printed. ARS PUBLICATIONS All of the page turns in 12.5.83 are bad, Erich Katz Contemporary Music Series Members Non-Members and therefore the piece can only be Suzanne M. Angevine, A Short Tale for two basses (Level II) (2 scores) $ 5 $ 8 performed from a photocopy. The other Peter Ballinger, Double Quartet for Recorders (Level II-III) (score & parts) $10 $18 editions have no bad page turns. Anthony Burgess, Sonatina for Alto Recorder and Piano (Level II) (2 scores) $7 $12 Cecil Effinger, Dialogue and Dance (SATB) (Level II-III) (score & parts) $10 $18 All three contain excellent instruc- Lee Gannon, Sonatine for three altos (Level III) (score & parts) $14 $26 tions—Nein! in English, German, and (score, parts & demo cassette) $23 $43 Erich Katz, Suite of Jewish Folk Tunes (S S/A8 A/T) (Level II) (three scores) $10 $18 French, the others in English only. Vaclav Nelhybel, Six Short Pieces for Three Recorders, (AA/TT) (Level II) Franklin River could be played by an edited by Alan Drake (3 scores) $8 $14 advanced amateur; 12.5.83 and Nein! Stanley W. Osborn, Kyrie and Vocalise for soprano voice and recorders (SATB) (Level II) (2 scores & 4 recorder parts) $ 8 $14 require the very highest level of technique. Frederic Palmer, Entrevista (SATB) (Level II) (2 scores & 4 recorder parts) $ 8 $14 It is important that they be published Sally Price, Dorian Mood (SATB) (Level II) (score & parts) $10 $18 Jeffrey Quick, Picnic Music (SATB) (Level II) (score & parts) $ 5 $ 8 because the example provided by history is that the spectacular virtuosity of the Musical Editions from the Members’ Library: ARS members: 1 copy, $3 2 copies, $4.50 3, $6 4, $7.50 5, $10 6, $11.50 present will be the student level of Non-members (editions over 2 years old): 1 copy, $5 2 copies, $8.50, 3,$12 4,$15 5, $19.50 6, $23 tomorrow. The ARS is happy to provide photocopied enlargements of any Members’ Library edition at the same prices. Please specify “Members’ Library Enlargement.” * = Editions not yet available to non-members. Bruckner’s Ave Maria (arr. Jennifer W. Lehmann) Santa Barbara Suite (Erich Katz) Canon for Four Bass Recorders (David P. Ruhl) Sentimental Songs (arr. David Goldstein) The spectacular Dancers (Richard Eastman) Serie for Two Alto Recorders (Frederic Palmer) Different Quips (Stephan Chandler) Slow Dance with Doubles (Colin Sterne) virtuosity of the Elegy for Recorder Quartet (Carolyn Peskin) Sonata da Chiesa (Ann McKinley) Elizabethan Delights Three Bantam Ballads (Ann McKinley) present will be the *Gloria in Excelsis (Robert Cowper) Three Cleveland Scenes (Carolyn Peskin) Imitations (Laurie G. Alberts) Tracings in the Snow *In Memory of Andrew (David Goldstein) in Central Park (Robert W. Butts) student level of tomorrow. *Jazzy Rondo (Carolyn Peskin) Trios for Recorders (George T. Bachmann) Los Pastores (arr. Virginia N. Ebinger) Triptych (Peter A. Ramsey) New Rounds on Old Rhymes (Erich Katz) Two Bach Trios (arr. William Long) BY ANA Other Quips (Stephan Chandler) Two Brahms Lieder (arr. Thomas E. Van Dahm) MIND YOUR STEP, Z Poinciana Rag (Laurie G. Alberts) *Variations on “Drmeš” (Martha Bishop) CLARKE. Orpheus Music OMP107 Vintage Burgundy (
34 American Recorder In addition to the difficulty of singing a these two editions are well-suited for separate part while playing the recorder, lower and upper intermediate groups. there is also the difficulty of covering the They are excellent teaching pieces that are wide range of the voice part: from e ' to fun to play and hear in performance. c'''(an octave and a sixth). That compass Tall Bamboo, which is the easier of the also limits the gender of the performer to two collections, contains four pieces that female, though Clarke suggests that a male are strictly based on the G pentatonic scale recorder player might play the piece an (G A B D E)—-the first notes taught by octave lower on bass recorder while also many recorder teachers to beginners. singing the voice part down a correspon- However, these pieces are not for absolute ding octave. beginners, such as those in school music Unexplained are the use in measures classes, because the ranges of the parts ex- three and four of the recorder part of low tend beyond the usual beginning notes. e ', which lies below the instrument’s Most of the soprano and tenor parts range range. A very soft and veiled e ' may be ob- from low D to high E (although some stay tained on an alto recorder by fingering low within the octave), and the alto parts range f ' and tightly sealing the bell hole, but it from low G to high A. does not seem to be usable in this context. According to the Orpheus web site, the In the quartet version of Mind Your pieces in Tall Bamboo have “oriental Step, the original material is slightly resonances”—most pentatonic pieces fleshed out and transposed up a step. seem to sound “Chinesey to our ears!” However, it is not based on an exact tran- Happily, though, these pieces don’t sound scription of the solo version. Here and childish, and all parts are fun to play. there, measures are added and subtracted, The title piece, “Tall Bamboo,” though the rationale for this seems effectively uses open fifths reminiscent of unclear. One section builds into a Van Medieval organum. “Long Road” features Eyck-like variation, offering a dissonance a Scottish-sounding melody (Celtic music and textural complexity that is foreign to is often pentatonic), which is given to the the solo version. tenor recorder in a solo passage. The In the quartet adaptation, the voices of melody of “Red Lily” is accompanied by the performers are used only in two brief an ostinato-like duet in the lower two sections, in both cases singing either in parts, featuring syncopation and a little unison or octaves with the recorders. welcome dissonance. This is the most in- The solo version is nicely printed, but teresting of the four pieces but may be the all of the page turns are bad. The quartet most difficult for novice recorder players score is excellent, but the notes in the because of the persistent low notes in the parts are too closely spaced, especially in tenor and alto parts. The easiest piece of the first page of the top alto part. There are all, the merry “Rice Paddy,” ends the no page turns in the parts. collection. I did not find this music particularly Abbot’s Bromley, for more experienced interesting, but it may appeal to some. players, presents lively arrangements of Pete Rose seven English folksongs and dances: “Abbot’s Bromley Horn Dance,” “Ye TALL BAMBOO: FOUR PENTATONIC Mar’ners All,” “Droylsden Wakes,” “John SONGS, BY ZANA CLARKE AND BENJAMIN Barleycorn,” “The Power Waltz,” THORN. Orpheus Music OMP 097 “A Sou’wester Blowing Billy,” and “Lovely (
November 2004 35 moto,” agile fingering is required—not Therefore, the main challenge is to Bells” melody is accompanied by a per- only for the soprano but also for the lower learn to play and feel the jazzy rhythms sistent tom-tom beat. And a lively, swing- parts. Rhythmic challenges include the rather than to quickly add new fingerings. ing “Boogie Woogie” provides an 5/4 meter signature in “Ye Mar’ners All” As an added challenge, two of the pieces “upbeat” ending to this set of variations. and a few hemiolas, such as the change leave room for improvised solos, and Tinter, who is a public school teacher from 6/8 to 3/4 in the top parts versus the Tinter carefully teaches that skill through and composer for many instruments, prevailing 6/8 in the tenor in “Droylsden his Solo/Echo Patterns on the CD. “plays the recorder with the style, phras- Wakes.” All of the pieces call for precision Furthermore, this is an unusual ing and passion of a jazz saxophonist.” ensemble work, such as accurately fitting method book in that teaching is done ver- He shares his experience in Orff, Kodàly, together the fast moving notes in two of bally on the CD as well as in print. The Dalcroze, and music technology at many the parts against the slower or rhythmical- Interactive Lessons on the CD use the rote workshops and conferences in the U.S. ly contrasting accompaniment part. method to teach fingerings, breathing, and as far away as Japan. I highly recommend both of these and tonguing; theoretically, a non- Tinter’s arrangements in these attrac- well-crafted collections for teaching, recorder player could be the instructor. tive publications invite young recorder recreational playing, and performing. Also on the CD are Demonstration Tracks players, even beginners, to experience for all of the pieces (with recorder on the making music of the present before they B-A-G BOSSA NOVA, BY JIM TINTER. melody), Performance Tracks (without are introduced to music of the past. This Jim Tinter Productions (1-800-230-3577; melody), and Solo/Accompaniment material encourages creativity and is ver-
36 American Recorder “Dance for May Eve” is another “busy” movement, in 6/8 time and in the key of B dorian. This is a fun piece, but it requires OOLS TO MPROVE OUR LAYING great rhythmic precision because some- times the rhythm is trochaic (long-short) $ANCE AT A 'LANCE "AROQUE #HAMBER -USIC and sometimes iambic (short-long), and !LL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT "AROQUE 0LAY !LONG #$S DANCE IN ONE CONVENIENT PACKAGE oftentimes these two rhythms go on si- (OURS OF PLAYING ENJOYMENT WITH EARLY MUSIC SPECIALISTS multaneously, lending a surprisingly thick *JHI TURN THE DIAL OF THE WHEEL GUIDE TO texture to a three-part piece. At one point, THE DANCE YOU ARE STUDYING TO LEARN ITS 4=G:: TO CHOOSE FROM WITH MUSIC AND METER TEMPO RHYTHM AND AFFECT 4HIS PERFORMANCE GUIDES FOR RECORDER PLAYERS a mystical D appears, disappears, and PACKAGE INCLUDES 6ISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR COMPLETE CONTENTS then reappears. One gets the feeling that s (ANDY WHEEL GUIDE 0RE($ISC#ONTINUO this D wants to lead the piece into the ma- s )NFORMATIVE BOOKLET %ARLY )NTERMEDIATE jor mode but just can’t quite make it, so s #$ WITH MUSIC EXAMPLES 4HE $ISC#ONTINUO instead a G appears, making the note “A” )NTERMEDIATE into a temporary tonic. The movement ends on a perfect fifth, lending a Medieval $ISC#ONTINUO )) / !DVANCED )NTERMEDIATE flavor to the conclusion. 6ISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWWKATASTROPHEMUSICCOM “Summer Canticle” does sound like its 4O ORDER POSTPAID SEND CHECKS $ANCE AT A 'LANCE WITH 89 WITHOUT 89 $ISC#ONTINUO SERIES EACH title, with a kind of relaxed, wandering, PLUS H = CHARGES FOR lRST ITEM EACH ADDITIONAL ITEM TO carefree melody. When I played through @6IAROE=: G:8DG9H &LORIO 3TREET /AKLAND #! OR CALL this with a recorder trio, we had the prob- lem of trying to make the melody heard over the accompanying alto and tenor parts. Occasionally, the alto or tenor is Beatin’ Path Publications playing in a higher range while the sopra- no dips into its lower range. It is difficult to Music That Works! bring out this line unless the alto and tenor players really have control over Robert Amchin dynamics and can play softly while staying Alto Antics ensembles for beginning alto recorder with percussion accompaniment in tune. Eventually the tenor recorder Recorder Frolics for beginning C-pipes (Play-along CD available) takes over the melody, but this is difficult Moods and Modes for intermediate classroom ensembles: includes play-along CD to bring out against the continuing activi- Brent M. Holl and Michael R. Nichols ty in the soprano and alto parts. The Beatin' Path Consort Collection for beginning and intermediate ensemble “Rune for Autumn’s Wind” is my Michael R. Nichols favorite movement. Again the music Christian Harmony Sacred Harp (Shaped Note) music arranged for SATB consort sounds like its title—the almost constant flow of eighth notes is occasionally inter- See our online catalogue of Church, rupted with bursts of 16th notes, and 302 East College Street choir, Orff and recorder music at: Bridgewater VA22812 www.beatinpathpublications.com these bursts sound like wind gusts. 540-478-4833 I feel that all of the movements have a or visit your favorite music dealer surprisingly thick texture for an SAT piece. All three parts just want to stay active throughout. It takes a certain amount of skill with articulation to avoid the “notey” Provincetown Bookshop Editions sound that can result from the active parts. Although there is nothing difficult JUST OFF THE PRESS! technically about any of the individual parts, a tight and very controlled ensemble Andrew Charlton: Suite Moderne, for 3 Recorders (ATB) is an absolute necessity. Otherwise, the A neo-Hindemithian Feast. many instances of parallel thirds and (3 Playing Scores, PBE-44) ...... $9.95 sixths, and places where rhythms are sub- Michael East: “Desperavi”, Fantasia for 5 Viols or Recorders, tly different from each other (trochaic vs. iambic), can sound quite chaotic. There- transcribed by David Goldstein. fore, I would recommend this piece only (Score & Parts, PBE-46) ...... $7.95 to advanced recorder ensembles. Bernard Krainis: “Elijahu ha-Navi” (Elijah the Prophet) However, I would probably prefer to Divisions & Tango on a Hebrew Tune, hear this piece played by viols, rather than for Alto Recorder alone (PBE-45) ...... $8.95 recorders, as viols have more dynamic control and thus more ability to A good source for Recorder & Viol Music of all publishers. de-emphasize parts that are clearly only The Provincetown Bookshop, Inc. accompaniment. Susan Groskreutz 246 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA 02657 Tel. (508)487-0964
November 2004 37 OPENING MEASURES ______Plodding—how to avoid this flaw
lodding is not so much a recorder Pissue, as one for musicians in general—but, since I often meet up with it From Select Preludes and Voluntaries in recorder players, I think I should for the Flute (1708) address it here. published in full in The Baroque Solo Book Johann Christoph Pepusch We all recognize the sound of plodding Dolce 111 players. Everything sounds heavy and # 31, first half uninspired, stuck in the mud. As a t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t etc.¡ ¡ ¡ recorder player, you can remedy this prob- D ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ lem in several ways. D & ¡ ¡ ¡ Ì ¡ Plodding is the result of playing every beat 6 D ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ O¡ Ì strongly, with equal D ¡ ¡ emphasis, combined with a lack of flow What do you think? How do you Articulation from note to note. sound? Not very graceful, I would guess! Using just two syllables—“t” and “d” You might like to record yourself playing in with any vowel between “ee” (i) and Plodding is the result of playing every this way for reference. “oo” (u)—will give an incredible amount beat strongly, with equal emphasis, com- Next try to work with each of the vari- of shape to your melody. bined with a lack of flow from note to note. ables mentioned above: articulation, Before applying these syllables to your Plodding is also the result of a lack of vari- length of note, and dynamics piece of music, practice the following ety in length of note, articulation and (loudness/quietness). If you just recorded articulations. dynamics. Vary any of these things and your plodding version, you should also Play the note “g” over and over in quar- your music will be less plodding. record each of the following versions— ter notes articulating “t – t – t – t –” and so Try it out: play the following phrase of but don’t listen to the recording. Hands on, at about 72 on the metronome. Keep music on soprano, alto or tenor recorder. off for now! (Further instructions will each note the same in all ways, but play Purposefully make each note just as strong follow below.) with a sense of direction, moving forward. as all the others—use equal emphasis and Play “g” over and over in quarter notes, loudness, and play each note for its full articulating “t – d, t – d, t – d, t – d” and value. Articulate all notes with “t.”
Courtly Music Unlimited 800-2-RICHIE (800 274-2443)
www.courtlymusic.com
"Everything for the recorder enthusiast, or those who would like to be."
Fine wood and plastic recorders, sheet music, method books, play-along CDs, accessories, workshops.
38 American Recorder so on. Notice how the “t –” leads into So, using “t – d” results in one stronger vowel; feel yourself to be big and round the “d.” and louder note followed by a softer and with rich sound. Play “g” as above, but now articulating quieter note. We might call this micro- As you blow softer, imagine your “t – d – d – d, t – d – d – d – .” Notice that dynamics, because the dynamic effect sound focusing to laser beam fineness the “d’s” help you to keep your air flowing occurs in a very short space of time. while gradually changing your vowel from note to note. We also need to think about the from “oo” to “ee.” Now play the tune below—the same larger picture. Make a long crescendo or This, together with articulation, will tune as before, with a different articula- diminuendo extending over many notes. result in small dynamic variations within a tion. How do you sound? Is it any better As you blow louder, allow your large dynamic shape. How exciting the than before? cheeks to puff out, blowing with an “oo” music becomes! Record all your variations. Then put your recording away in a safe place and wait one week. From Select Preludes and Voluntaries After one week, listen to all your recordings. What do you for the Flute (1708) think? How does your music published in full in The Baroque Solo Book Johann Christoph Pepusch sound? How do you sound? Dolce 111 I hope and expect that you # 31, first half will be pleasantly surprised, if t d d t d d t d d d t d d t d d d t t d t d t d t t d not astounded, by the grace ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ DD & ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ Ì ¡ ¡ ¡ and flow of your playing, when compared with the plodding Practice a few times before recording. nature of the first version. You can use all of these t d t d t t t t t d t d d musical tools, in everything 6 ¡ ¡ D ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ O¡ Ì you play, to create sounds of D ¡ beauty and elegance. Frances Blaker
Length When you use a combination of sylla- bles, the note length is also changed. Go back to the “t – d, t – d, t – d, t – d” from R above. I pointed out that the “t – ” leads to the “d.” In other words, the “t – ” note is blown for its full length. What I did not E mention is that the “d” (notice that this is different from “d –”) is allowed to be passive—the air flow weakens to almost C nothing, giving a shorter note with a little silence following. Play the bit of music again with the O articulation I suggested above, but this time listen closely to the eighth-note pas- sages with alternating occurrences of “t” R and “d.” Notice how the various articula- tions also effect the lengths of your notes. You might like to exaggerate the effect a D little so that you can clearly feel and hear it. Record yourself both ways— exaggerated and normal. E Strength (and loudness/quietness) You have probably just noticed that I R said the “d” is “allowed to be passive—the air flow weakens to almost nothing.” Alert readers will realize this means that the S note using “d” gets softer, less loud, piano! That’s just fine—we can use this effect.
November 2004 39 CHAPTERS & CONSORTS ______Workshops abound, young recorder players in action, ______and a new recorder orchestra in California
ed to the chapter and sold for music—and which will be remembered small amounts. All proceeds by all, whether they liked it or not! go to help fund future work- A blow has been struck for the recorder shops—like the March 2005 at Oak Park (IL) River Forest High School, concert and workshop, when where Laura Osterlund recently we look forward to seeing was a winner in the annual concerto Boeckman again with the trio competition. To the best of anyone’s Wood’n Flutes in Phoenix. knowledge at the school, this was the first Beverly Jackson of time a contestant has entered it playing Grand Junction, CO, invit- the recorder, much less won the contest. ed local teachers who use Laura was a 2002 ARS workshop recorders in their classes to scholarship winner. attend a half-day workshop Competing in the concerto contest as a given by Connie Primus on sophomore against about 20 others, main- September 11. Other local ly upper classmen playing piano, violin, The Desert Pipes (Phoenix, AZ) recorder players and early musicians also flute and other instruments, she played Chapter of the ARS holds an annual attended. the only pre-Classical work: Vivaldi’s Workshop in the Pines during the summer, For this playing session, Jackson asked Concerto in C on sopranino recorder. when temperatures soar above 115 and Primus to include music and ideas from The competition was held in two parts. stay there. The meeting is sponsored by the ARS Junior Recorder Society pro- All entrants competed in the first stage, a the Mountain Winds Recorder Consort gram. Selections based on the structure of closed-door audition before a three-judge of Prescott, AZ. the JRS (Volume 1, “Folk Music;” Volume panel of the high school’s music faculty. In 2004, when the group was planning 2, “The Recorder Through History;” and Eleven performers were selected for the its third annual gathering, it learned that Volume 3, “Modern Recorder Music”) led second phase of competition, an open Vicki Boeckman would be visiting family to discussions on the history of the performance before a live audience, with in Cottonwood, AZ, just down the road recorder and its repertoire. three judges brought in from outside the from Prescott—serendipity! Boeckman Among the pieces played were the school district. agreed to spend the day leading the work- Medieval motet, Alle Psallite, which Laura was named a co-winner with two shop, and a wonderful time was had by all. encouraged experimentation with other performers—seniors playing violin In addition to playing some “large” instruments available in the classroom; and piano. Along with her co-winners, she works for recorder orchestra (see photo Van Eyck’s variations on the folk song will play her competition piece with the above by William Stickney, with Boeckman “Bockxvoetje” (Goat-foot), which high school orchestra in a public concert, directing at left), the workshop partici- challenged faster-fingered players to play tentatively set for December. pants enjoyed the chapter’s typical fund- the divisions while others played the sim- Earlier in the summer, other Chicago- raising event—a garage sale! Participants ple melody; and Bob Margolis’s 7-Minute area young recorderists gave their first were asked to bring music, books, CDs Recorder Quartet, which provided an concert before a large audience of parents, and other small items. These were donat- introduction to aleatoric, avant-garde teachers and other students. The fourth-
The Aeolus Recorder Konsort in Arkansas celebrated Labor Day weekend on September 3-4 with a master class and a workshop directed by Lisette Kielson( standing at left, front row). The workshop was held in downtown Little Rock at the Central Arkansas Library. It was entitled “What Attitude!: Chromaticism as a Means of Expression in 16th and 17th Century Music” and was an enticing look into the late-Renaissance and Baroque use of chromaticism. The workshop included music by Frescobaldi, Stephan, Pachelbel, Tomkins/Simpson, and Sweelinck. Participants included players from Oklahoma and Missouri in addition to Arkansas. (Photo by Don Wold)
40 American Recorder recorderman.com
Recorder music and more! Learn to improvise.Energize your music program. Hear soundclips on the website. Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-800-230-3577 graders of Murray Language Academy marched in to perform at the June 15 School Year Awards Assembly, playing Aura Lee (with percussion assistance from Chicago Chapter member Hilde Stani- Olde Pipes Consort members are: (back row, l to r) Felix Nepveux, Pat Davis, ulis) and Sakura. They had been pre- Gene Wachter, Joan Smith, Tony Elliott, Martha Rudisill and John Thomas; pared for the recorder program by Tim (front row, l to r) founder/director Hillyer Rudisill, Adelaide Nichols, Ursula Andrews with the help of teacher Mary Stuerken, Erika Stancliff, Joan Matzner and Rudy Matzner. Ellen Ziegler. More importantly, they also receive assistance from the Chicago Hillyer Rudisill has submitted the early music at Moorhead College (ND). Chapter’s outreach program and its Kroe- first official photograph of a new consort, Six of the group also presented a program sen Scholarship and Education Fund. the Olde Pipes Consort in Charleston, in May for 75 fourth-graders who had Five members of the San Francisco SC. The group meets at the Lowcountry been learning recorder in their music (CA) Chapter gave an October benefit Senior Center, which opened in 2002. class. To help the youngsters visualize the concert at St. John’s United Church of Shortly after that, Rudisill began working history of music and of the recorder, the Christ, which provides meeting space for with the group as its volunteer director. group made a timeline (shown in photo the chapter. Performing Medieval, Renais- He writes that, at age 70, he’s the only below) using information found in sance and modern music were Mary member of the current group who is Natalie Jane Prior’s children’s book Carrigan, Jack O’Neill, Susan not completely retired—he still teaches entitled The Recorder: How it changed the Richardson, Daniel Soussan and philosophy and music appreciation. world, saved the universe, and topped the Dana Vinicoff. Proceeds of the concert, The consort members have varied charts. the second annual event, are shared by musical backgrounds, both chapter and church. ranging from those The Moss Bay (WA) Recorder Soci- who have never partic- ety’s annual trek to Enumclaw to play mu- ipated in any music to sic with the Cascade Recorder Consort those who previously was a great success. Among selections led have played recorder by Claire Wesley at the May meeting was (some 60 years ago!) a song by Felix Mendelssohn, chosen for a or other instruments. summer afternoon spent in the country. Jan Smith sent Wini Jaeger also conducted an eight-part news that the North- Sinfonie by Viadana, in which the solo winds Chapter in band did not mind sitting outside the upper Michigan held meeting room for a special effect. The final an April workshop led work was a folk song entitled The Clammy by Bob Pattengale, Trip, appropriate for the day’s weather. retired professor of
A consort including (clockwise from left) Mary Margaret West, Bev Koester, Nell Waltner and Cindy Osborne, with Triangle (NC) Recorder Society music director Patricia Petersen facing away and holding drum, played at the TRS spring recital on May 16.
November 2004 41 Young Recorderists at Play
Recorder Kids of Rogersville, AL as three after- On May 11, the Rogersville Recorder school classes Kids performed their third annual spring taught weekly. recital at the Lauderdale County School in The Kids are Rogersville, AL, located about 40 miles encouraged to west of Huntsville on the Tennessee River. work at their own The Recorder Kids program is a joint proj- pace and to enjoy ect of the Rogersville Optimist Club and being recognized the Birmingham ARS Chapter. by earning Levels. For the past three years, the Rogersville Most of the kids Optimist Club has provided the necessary can earn the early financial backing for music and instru- Levels in one Rogersville Recorder Kids (l to r): Megan Love, director Susan Roessel, ments—and this past year they added semester. David Prosser, Casey Bloodworth, Josh Howard, Katie Rogers (teacher’s money for a teacher’s aide. The Birming- The first three aid, behind Josh Howard), Brent Thacker, Jacob Strickland, Chastity ham ARS Chapter has provided a volun- Levels concen- Singleton, Monica Moss, Sarah Weems, Baily Payne and Jesse Williams. teer teacher to organize the project and to trate on soprano teach two or three weekly after-school recorder. Using the Sweet Pipes Recorder For Level C, the Kids play tunes from recorder classes each semester. Rogersville Time Book 1, they work on blowing, the first half of Book 2 as well as several resident Susan Roessel, a member of the breathing, tonguing, tone quality, intona- tunes on sopranino. Since they read music ARS Board and treasurer of the Rogersville tion and reading music. Once they can quite well at this point, some will play Optimist Club, leads the project. play the first two duets in the book, they tunes from a hymnal or other books. (One The purpose of the program is to offer earn Level A: the Duet Time book. Work be- asked that The Star Spangled Banner be to students a level of musical instruction gins on duets and ensembles with several written out for him. Even though it that would not normally be available. Any- to a part, augmented by accompaniments required three new notes, he was able to one in the fourth and fifth grades of the in the book and use of the CD that corre- play it by the next week.) local elementary school is invited to join. sponds with the book. After finishing Level C, each Kid can de- On the recital, players included begin- After completing Book 1 and two duets, cide to start learning alto (if the reach is ners, plus an intermediate group that had Kids earn Level B: Recorder Time Book 2 comfortable), or continue with soprano or studied recorder last year and some third- plus a sopranino, which works wells with tenor. Two of the Kids are able to play bass year students. This year’s new teacher’s small hands—they love the tiny recorders. (unfortunately the program only has aide was a charter member of the program Kids work on the first tunes they learned, one!). The May recital was the first with and an invaluable help with classes. using proper sopranino fingerings, while students playing an SATB quartet. The Recorder Kids program was started continuing to learn soprano fingerings, a As the Kids continue to progress, Levels at a time when no music classes were in- process that moves along quickly. will be added, with an eventual goal for cluded in the third or fourth grades at the When Kids are ready, they may borrow them to pass the ARS Level I Exam. school. That has fortunately changed. one of the two tenor recorders the pro- If others are interested in The program is now offered to fourth gram owns. Three of the current group establishing similar programs, contact and fifth graders, with a maximum of eight have bought their own tenors. Roessel at
42 American Recorder CHAPTER NEWS Chapter newsletter editors and publicity officers should send materials for publication in American Recorder to : American Recorder, 7770 South High St., Centennial, CO 80122-3122, by e-mail
fine editions of early & contemporary music PRB PRODUCTIONS Peralta Avenue, Albany, CA Phone: -- Fax: -- E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.prbmusic.com
November 2004 43 STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) CONSIDER ADVERTISING IN 1. Publication title: American Recorder. 2. Publica- CLASSIFIED tion No. 0003-0724. 3. Filing date: October 27, ______2004. 4. Issue frequency: Bi-monthly except sum- ______mer. 4. No. of issues published annually: five. ______6. Annual subscription price: $32. 7. Complete ______mailing address of known office of publication: ______American Recorder Society, 1129 Ruth Drive, Full page ...... $565 St. Louis, MO 63122-1019. Contact Person: Kathy 2/3 page ...... $420 Sherrick. Telephone: 314-966-4082. 8. Complete 1/2 page ...... $345 mailing address of the headquarters of general busi- ness offices of the publisher: same. 9. Full names 1/3 page ...... $270 and complete mailing address of publisher, editor, 1/4 page ...... $210 and managing editor: Publisher: American Recorder Where the haves 1/6 page ...... $165 Society, 1129 Ruth Drive, St. Louis, MO 63122- 1/8 page ...... $120 1019. Editor: Gail Nickless, 7770 South High Street, and have-nots 1/12 page...... $ 90 Centennial, CO 80122. Managing Editor: same. 1 column inch ...... $ 55 10. Owner: American Recorder Society, 1129 Ruth of the recorder world Drive, St. Louis, MO 63122. 11. Known bondhold- can find each other Prices include web site/e-mail link directly from ers, mortgagees. and other security holders owning your ad in AR On-line,
44 American Recorder