september 2007 Published by the American Recorder Society, Vol. XLVIII, No. 4 XLVIII, Vol. American Recorder Society, by the Published Edition Moeck 2825
Celle · Germany Tel. +49-5141-8853-0 www.moeck.com
NEW FROM MAGNAMUSIC American Songs Full of Songs Spirit & Delight Fifteen pieces For TTB/SST freely arranged for The twenty lovely recorder trio, SAT, pieces in this by Andrew aptly named set Charlton. Classics demonstrate why like America, Michael East in Battle Hymn of the his time was Republic, America arguably one of the Beautiful, The the most popular Caisson Song, of the Elizabethan Columbia, the Gem composers. of the Ocean, The Marines Hymn, Chester, Complete edition from the original score, with Battle Cry of Freedom, All Quiet along the intermediate difficulty. 3 volumes. $8.95 each Potomac, I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, Vol. 1 ~ TTB Vol. 2 ~ TTB Vol. 3 ~ SST Marching through Georgia, and more! TR00059 TR00069 TR00061 Item No. JR00025 ~ $13.95 IN STOCK NOW! An inspiring and instructive guide for everyone who plays the recorder (beginner, intermediate, experienced) and wants to play more beautifully. The Recorder Book is written with warmth and humor while leading you in a natural, methodical way through all the finer points of recorder playing. From selecting a recorder to making it sing, from practicing effectively to playing ensemble, here is everything you need. This is a most enjoyable read, whether you are an amateur or an expert. The repertoire lists have been updated, out-of-print editions have been removed, and edition numbers have been changed to reflect the most recent edition numbering. This excellent guide to recorders and recorder music, written in a friendly relaxed manner, is highly informative and should be in every recorder player's library. Item No. WOLLITZ, $29.95
Boyce: Symphony No. 1 Charlton(ed): Gilbert & Sullivan Revisited D' Urfey: Pills to Purge Melancholy Three wonderful movements, arranged for 12 arias and choruses from six of their best Five songs from Wit and Mirth published in recorder quartet (SATB) and optional guitar by loved operettas arranged for recorder trio 1719, arranged by Andrew Charlton for mezzo Andrew Charlton (SAT) by Andrew Charlton. soprano and baritone voice with SATB Item No. JR00003 Item No. JR00024 ~$13.95 recorders $17.50 Item No. JR00028 ~ $18.95 Bach, J.S: Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, 3rd Movement Foster: Album of Well-Known Songs for SSATB Recorders for SAT Recorders JR00015 ~ $17.00 JR00016 ~ $13.50 TOLL FREE: (888) 665-2721 FAX: (860) 364-5168 Email: [email protected], and on the web: www.magnamusic.com EDITOR’S ______NOTE ______Volume XLVIII, Number 4 September 2007 ow many times has any one of us said, H“Let me sleep on it” before making a FEATURES decision? An interesting TV show (initial In a Manner Born ...... 18 air date: July 10, 2007) on PBS links sleep The fourth interview in a series on jazz and pop recorder players, not only with decision-making, but with in which Art Baron describes playing recorder in memory . Duke Ellington’s band, On Nova ScienceNOW, host Neil by Frances Feldon DeGrasse Tyson typed a repeating five- digit pattern faster after “sleeping on it.” 4 In fact, study subjects improved their DEPARTMENTS typing by about 20 percent after snoozing. Advertiser Index ...... 40 Researcher Robert Stickgold is con- vinced that “while you sleep, your brain Chapters & Consorts ...... 33 is reviewing what you've learned and Classified ...... 40 strengthening your memories.” This is Compact Disc Reviews ...... 28 intriguing in the context of practicing musical note patterns, which are not 18 Education ...... 16 specifically covered in the testing—but Music Reviews...... 36 which surely must use a sort of memory On the Cutting Edge...... 32 similar to that used for typing patterns. PBS junkies can also look online for Opening Measures ...... 26 a show featuring the subject of another President’s Message ...... 3 interview conducted by Frances Feldon—jazz trombonist and recorderist Tidings ...... 4 Art Baron. In her introduction (page 18), 33 Boston Early Music Festival Report and musings from Anthony she mentions his concert tour with Bruce Rowland-Jones after attending BEMF; a reissue of The Recorder Springsteen that was recorded for PBS. ON THE COVER: Book, and a newly completed book on Fred Morgan; changes in This summer’s Boston Early Music "Beautiful Music Festival was again a busy event for Together" by the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet lineup recorder enthusiasts. Reports from ARS Jeff Jurich. members who attended concerts are sup- Contact plemented by thoughts from Presidential
6 American Recorder PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ______A sense of community: important for humans to have?
few months ago a book was recom- I would like to encourage you to teachers, performers, Amended to me in response to my col- become more involved with our organi- scholars and more— umn about increasing ARS membership. zation, which you can do in many ways. united by a love of the Robert D. Putnam’s Bowling Alone: The You can simply take advantage of ARS recorder. Collapse and Revival of American Commu- membership benefits, or become more Putnam describes nity (Simon and Schuster, 2000) covers active—by running for an ARS Board po- a decline in numbers the rise and decline of civic engagement sition or becoming a non-Board member of people running for in America in the 20th century, including of an ARS committee. You can volunteer elective office. It involvement in formal membership or- to help organize events at the Berkeley or seems that it takes a ganizations such as the Rotary Club, par- Boston festivals. lot of money and influence to run for just ticipation in political and religious activi- Chapters can help by hosting Board about any office, eliminating many wor- ties, informal social connections such as meetings. Members can be involved at thy candidates. card-playing clubs, and more. It also dis- the local level by joining an ARS chapter, Fortunately neither is a requirement cusses the rise and decline of volunteer- running for chapter office, helping to or- for anyone wishing to run for the ARS ing, altruism and philanthropy, and how ganize coaches or workshops, or even Board. You just need to be an ARS mem- civic involvement is closely entwined bringing snacks. Never underestimate ber in good standing. I’ve noticed that it with honesty, reciprocity and trust. the importance of communal eating—an helps if you do a little campaigning, such The many benefits of civic engage- integral part of creating and maintaining as sending out your campaign statement ment include the sense of community it social capital. This social capital— on a recorder listserve, so that others will confers on those who are members of the or what Putnam refers to as “connections have more of a chance to judge your qual- kinds of organizations listed above. among individuals via social networks ifications and likelihood of doing a good The ARS (and its chapters) fits into the and the norms of reciprocity and trust- job as a Board member. It’s also clear that category of an organization in which worthiness that arise from them”— anyone with exposure to a lot of mem- members are actively involved as board is a valuable part of life and creates a bers, such as a workshop teacher or chap- or committee members at either the local community to which we can belong. ter member, has an improved chance of or national level, rather than the kind of Membership in groups like the ARS winning a seat on the Board, simply by professionally-run organization like provides a connection among people all virtue of name recognition—but Board Common Cause that one supports only over the world. We meet at workshops, members don’t have to participate in ei- with a check, rather than with time, par- we read about each other in AR and the ther workshops or chapters. ticipation and a dues check. Like most of ARS Newsletter, we forge friendships at While it’s true that the Board needs the former, we experienced a member- chapter meetings that we might never specific skills—such as fundraising, mar- ship surge after World War II up to the form without the opportunity to meet keting, teaching experience and more— 1960s, and like them we suffered a steady other people who also love the recorder. above all, the ARS needs Board members membership decline after the late 1960s. Putnam cites many surveys to support who are enthusiastic about the ARS, and Citing many surveys, Putnam attrib- his thesis that the decline of civic engage- who are willing to initiate or join in on utes this decline to several factors, but ment is bad for our health, happiness, projects and carry them through to com- primarily to two: the effects of genera- and economic well-being. Communities pletion. The ARS needs Board members tional change and television. The genera- with more social capital are more suc- who are able to work well by consensus, tion that came of age during WWII was cessful than those with less social capital. and who are excited about working for a the most civically engaged generation of With lots of civic engagement going on in common goal with fellow Board mem- the 20th century, and has remained so a community, citizens can resolve collec- bers and other volunteers. into older age. Their children and grand- tive problems more easily. These engaged It will soon be time for the Nominat- children are less connected with each citizens trust each other, so they work to- ing Task Force to begin their work of other and with their larger community. gether. These communities have better recruiting candidates for the next ARS I and my fellow late Baby Boomers overall health, report happier citizens, Board election. We work hard, and we vote at every election, but the following and have better public services available. have a lot of fun. If that appeals to you, I generations aren’t feeling the same com- The ARS is a grassroots organization, ask you to seriously consider submitting punction. According to Putnam, only 54 but I think that many of our members your name for the ballot. We need you in percent of Generation X adults (those may forget this, thinking in terms of our community! born between 1965 and 1980) feel guilty “them and us”—the ARS Board and Letitia Berlin, ARS President when they don’t vote, as compared with the membership—rather than of people
There is no better way to start a overture, there were selections from Lul- usual clefs and even from Renaissance busy week at the Boston Early Music ly’s stage works, including an aria from notation. Festival (BEMF) than to hear a concert Psyché and three dances. Renaissonics colleague Cheryl at the Friends’ Meeting House on Beacon Another highlight of the performance Stafford explained and demonstrated Hill in Boston, MA. It is a wonderfully was Hotteterre’s four-movement Premier the way, in Italian Renaissance dance, the serene venue just minutes away from the Sonate, Op. 3. A perfect fit for the pro- dancer and the musician work together Boston Common, and the perfect spot gram, it featured Watkins on chalumeau, to enhance expression. The music she for Concertino’s program, “The Birth of a recorder-like predecessor of the clar- danced to, a saltarello and a canary from the Trio Sonata in France,” on June 11. inet. Many respected historical wood- Fabritio Caroso’s Nobiltà di Dame, was Concertino’s members include wind players play the chalumeau, and printed in a workbook all workshop Geoffrey Burgess, oboe and recorder; some of their performances are more students received to use on their own, an Owen Watkins, oboe, recorder and satisfying than others. His chalumeau especially nice bonus for participants. chalumeau; Marc Vallon, bassoon; playing was warm, expressive, and well- The afternoon concert by Renais- and Elaine Funaro, harpsichord. balanced within the ensemble. sonics, also at NEC, was again a demon- The concert began with François Jean Féry Rebel’s Recueil de Douze stration of the skill and versatility of Couperin’s La Steinquerque (1693). Be- Sonates (1712) drew the program to a Tyson and his colleagues. Tyson plays cause of its numerous short movements close. As with other works in the pro- from memory, giving the feeling that no with alternating tempi, this very early trio gram, Burgess and Watkins alternated two of his performances of the same sonata resembles a French suite. Burgess oboes and recorders from movement to piece are alike. He projects a beautiful, and Watkins switched between oboes movement. Recorder enthusiasts in the centered tone, and at the same time he and recorders throughout the work, as audience particularly enjoyed the lovely can play diminutions at a speed to make Burgess suggested a period wind player accompanied recorder duet in this piece. an amateur recorder player weep. could do. The effect was very satisfying Although Burgess offered some com- The harpsichord and recorder playing and offered a nice variety of tone colors. ments during the performance, more in- of Tyson’s wife, Miyuki Tsurutani, are Their clean, crisp and expressive playing teraction between the performers and also exceptional—always graceful, fluid, was delightful. They captured the the audience would have left listeners a and perfectly in tune. A Byrd piece titled essence of the French style without bit more satisfied. Hearing performers The Greedy Hawk was especially lovely excessive dramatics or overindulgence. talk about the music they play certainly played on two recorders and ’cello. enhances the overall musical experience. Toward the end of the concert the Magically, Tyson got There were other sufficient reasons to audience was treated to an elegant pas de arrive early in the BEMF week, advertised deux, “Gallaria d’Amore,” with choreog- the group to play a as June 11-17 but really usually concen- raphy from Cesare Negri’s treatise on trating activities on the last weekend dance, theatre and etiquette entitled Le Ravenscroft round of the timespan. Those already in Boston Gratie d’Amore. Here the musicians used with rhythms created on June 12 were able to take advantage of music by Negri and Zanetti as a basis for John Tyson’s Renaissance Perfor- their own version, which involved a lot of simply by looking at the mance Practice Workshop at New improvisation. After other dances with words and using their England Conservatory (NEC). accompanying improvisation, Tyson A similar impressive workshop was gave a short encore on pipe and tabor. natural rhythm. prepared by Tyson two years ago, and Tyson’s genius is in convincing both this one did not disappoint. Again Tyson his listeners and his students that even After a piece by Boismortier, on which presented a lecture explaining what the fanciest of musical fireworks come Vallon played solo bassoon very ad- Renaissance music was all about; again initially from singing and from the mirably, the ensemble offered Selections he emphasized the importance of the speech rhythms of the human voice. His from Trios de different autheurs (1697). voice and of singing the words; and twin gifts, for both “singing” and impro- This suite, possibly compiled by Charles again he exhorted his listeners to read vising on the recorder, combined with Babell, is derived from a collection of Ganassi’s and Ortiz’s books—but this impeccable musical scholarship, make arrangements of over 200 well-known time his approach was slightly different. him a formidable performer and teacher. pieces by contemporary composers. As There was more audience participation. It was a dash to get across town to Burgess explained, the collection was Magically, Tyson got the group to play Beacon Hill Friends’ House, where the probably intended for domestic music- a Ravenscroft round with rhythms creat- smallish space of the chapel was a perfect making, with the pieces arranged by key ed simply by looking at the words and us- spot for the sweet tones of the four per- for ease in selecting a suitable set to play ing their natural rhythm. He also gave a formers of Seven Times Salt: Karen at home. After the typical French-style painless introduction to playing in un- Burciaga, Daniel Meyers, Josh
8 American Recorder Schreiber Shalem and Matthew full, and the bright, Baroque music filled They were lively, enthusiastic and ex- Wright, whose arsenal of instruments the room with energy. While no wind pressive in their playing, creating seam- includes a violin, recorders, bagpipes, players were utilized, the Early Music less sets of compositions, with divisions alto and bass viols, lute, flute and voice. America (EMA) Collegium Grant win- and superb improvisations on those The program was titled “Hoyda!” ners varied groupings from piece to compositions. As stated in the program (presumably, “hurrah!”) and subtitled piece, drawing from very talented notes, they devote much attention to “Goodly Sport at Hampton Court.” singers, string players, continuo and diminutions. Music was drawn from Egerton ms. percussion. An outstanding offering Their fourth set of pieces—Susanne 3665, sometimes called Henry VIII’s was Monteverdi’s Lamento d’Ariana Ung Jour, Ricercar (Improvisation) and manuscript, and from other sources. (1608/23) sung with appropriate pas- Sonata 7 (Bertoli)—was particularly The musicians were relaxed and low sion by soprano Katherine Kaiser. wonderful to listen to. Their version— key—which was nice, but there was an Works by Buchner, Purcell, Gabrieli, voice, bass recorder, lute, harp, theorbo old-fashioned amateurism about the Balbastre, Scarlatti, Vivaldi and Handel and ’cello—ended with a ’cello solo that concert that was oddly disconcerting. A made the afternoon program a showcase was greeted with a roar of approval by the succession of short pieces—which had a for the mainstream of Baroque composi- capacity audience, which could hardly common thread, to be sure—forced too tions and styles. In “Sweeter than Roses,” contain itself, almost like being at a rock many rounds of applause from the audi- the Texas Camerata (guest artists Ava concert. ence. That, coupled with embarrassed Pine, soprano; and Larry Palmer, harp- New York City seems to be a magnet excuses for frequent tunings and one or sichord; members: Lee Lattimore, flute; for collectives, from drummers to psy- two mistakes, caused the program to be- Kevin Hall, bassoon; Adam Gordon, chotherapists. One of its more successful come choppy. This seemed out of place trumpet; Kristin Van Cleve and Ellen groupings is the New York Continuo in a 21st-century performance of cham- Lovelace, violin; Karen Hall, ’cello) Collective, a Baroque opera workshop ber music from any era. offered a particularly striking rendition of company directed by Grant Herreid Seven Times Salt is a professional Vivaldi’s Concerto in G minor (La Notte, and stage-directed by Jennifer Gries- group that has been performing for some RV104) for flute, two violins, bassoon bach that made a return appearance at time. At their best, they produce a sweet, and continuo. Flutist Lattimore demon- BEMF on June 14. well-blended sound that is a great pleas- strated impressive breath control and Gordon Chapel at Old South Church ure to listen to. marvelous finesse with ornaments. The provided the perfect setting for the semi- Simultaneously across town, the sound for the Camerata was especially staged production of La Liberazione di Alamire Consort (Robert Stibler, cor- good, as the ensemble was set up on the Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina. Francesca netto and recorder; Mindy McMahon, main floor of the Lindsey Chapel in Caccini’s opera (1625) was the first ever voice and harp; Paul Merrill, sackbut Emmanuel Church. The standing-room- written by a woman and the first Italian and recorder; Emily and Peter only crowd responded enthusiastically. opera to be performed outside of Italy. Urquhart, viols) offered an engaging Under Herreid’s adept musical direction, program of music published by Susato. Thursday morning, the cast and instrumentalists performed Entitled “The Other Susato: Chansons (with masterful improvisations) an and Dances from the Sixteenth Century,” June 14, gave rise to what orchestral introduction, solos (recita- it embraced not only a winningly- tives with ornamentation and stringed performed suite from the Dansyre but many have reported to accompaniment), choral interludes, also works by Josquin, Gombert, be one of the best fringe and instrumental dances as a smooth- Crecquillon and others. flowing, tight ensemble. Stibler and Merrill phrased beauti- events they have heard fully on early brass, recorders and at BEMF: that by crumhorns. Alamire Consort treated the Harmonious Blacksmith. Restoration, Repair and Maintenance familiar dances as living music, making of Fine Instruments great effect of staggered entries and taste- ful ornamentation. The ensemble’s Thursday morning, June 14, gave sound was a bit muted by their place- rise to what many have reported to be Collins & Williams ment in the choir/sanctuary of the chapel one of the best fringe events they have rather than on the floor. heard at BEMF: that by Harmonious Historic Woodwinds The house was full and Urquhart ver- Blacksmith (Ah Young Honh, 5 White Hollow Road bally expanded on the program notes, soprano; Justin Godoy and Héloïse De- Lakeville, CT 06039 cluing listeners in on the processes be- grugillier, recorder; William Simms, (860) 435-0051 hind the performance. Those who theorbo and Baroque guitar; Nika www.leecollins.com missed the Tuesday performance by Zlataric´, ’cello; Joseph Gascho, harpsi- Alamire had the option of hearing the chord). In “The Boundaries of Perfor- Authorized warranty repairs agent for same excellent program late on June 13. mance, Composition & Improvisation in Moeck, Mollenhauer, Zen-On, Aura, The next morning started with lively 17th-century Italy,” the group varied Coolsma, and other leading makers performances of 17th- and some 18th- nicely their presentations in numbers of century Italian music by students from performers, and in instrumentalists and All work carries a guarantee of SUNY–Stony Brook. Every seat in the voice. From the beginning, the listener your satisfaction. Boston Center for Adult Education was had a feeling of connection with them.
September 2007 9 One recorder duet interlude imitated the performance by Ensemble Dulce was narrated in Middle English and in- the pastoral sound of bagpipes. NYCC Melos. The programming was exquisite; terspersed with period music, played recorder player Neil Plotkin comment- each piece led directly to the next in each and sung. Anna Marsh and Thea Smith ed, “Playing recorder in this setting is section. The concert was scholarly as combined their voices and recorders to much more fun than consort playing.” well as beautifully performed; original great effect on Now wolde y fayne and Edi An appreciative standing-room-only sources were given for each piece. Beo Thu. In the latter piece, Andrew audience responded enthusiastically at Fouts introduced the tune using pizzica- the conclusion of this workshop staging. There were many to on the vielle as the narration drew to a At the same time on June 14, a quar- close. Use of moderate tempos for the tet of extraordinarily gifted performers things to admire in Estampie and the Trotto enhanced the presented a concert of Medieval music sense of magic and timelessness. titled “Metamorphosis: Of the four ele- the performance by Marsh’s gemshorn playing on Worldes ments and their powers.” Members of Blis and Brid one Breere added just the Ensemble Dulce Melos met at the Ensemble Dulce Melos. right timbre, particularly in conjunction Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (Basel Mu- with Fouts’s drone on the vielle. After the sic Academy in Switzerland) as they pur- The instruments were fascinating. glorious 17th- and 18th-century music sued graduate studies in Medieval music. The dulcemelos, a kind of hammered heard earlier in the day, one’s ears and The group was presented, in their North dulcimer with two bridges, was played heart were very ready for this austere American debut, by the Lute Society of with great virtuosity by Margit Übel- beauty. Thomas Binkley’s legacy of vital- America and the Schola Cantorum. Their lacker. Yukiko Yaita performed on ity in Medieval music performance at theme was taken from a quotation in three Medieval-type recorders, two of Indiana lives on in this group. Ovid’s Metamorphoses, telling of the cre- which she had made herself, and a string That evening, NEC’s Jordan Hall was ation of earth, water, air and fire; and drum. Elizabeth Rumsey and Marc at capacity for a concert by the BEMF from passages in the Heidelberg Book of Lewon were the accomplished string Festival Orchestra and Chorus. Their Destiny (1491) describing the forces of players, playing fiddle and recorder program, “A Feast of the Gods” (also the the elements as they combine and com- (Rumsey) and lute and gittern (Lewon). Festival theme this year), featured music pete with one another in driving the Lewon also sang, most notably Oswald by John Eccles and Jean-Philippe minds of men. Each section began with a von Wolkenstein’s (1377-1445) Es fuegt Rameau. Eccles, considered one of the reading from the Heidelberg Book, first in sich, in which the singer reflects upon finest successors to Henry Purcell, was German, then in English. the individual’s place within the cosmic represented by his masque The Judgment There were many things to admire in order. of Paris, one of the last works in this The performers mixed and matched genre. It was written for a composition instruments in ways that were fascinat- contest, and though Eccles placed only ing and sometimes incredibly virtuosic. second, his is the only one to survive. Interesting changes to well-known Five singers presented the story, while Medieval pieces—often composed by orchestra and chorus supported them to the players themselves, like the diminu- perfection. Of special note were the four tions on a Machaut virelai and a Landini Baroque trumpets and drum that added ballata, or like adding a fourth part to a proper regal atmosphere to several Vaillant’s Par maintes foy—made for a numbers. While recorders were not transformation of the music into some- prominent, two were used effectively on thing new and magical. The rendition of a single aria, played quite capably by Isabella, an anonymous 14th-century Kathryn Montoya and Debra Nagy. istampitta, on fiddle and lute in unison— The second part of the program, two instruments, one plucked and one L’Orchestre des Plaisirs, consisted of a bowed, in perfect tune and with perfect series of instrumental numbers taken rhythm—made one’s hair stand on end. from Rameau’s operas. Throughout As the number of performances in- this part, the group performed with its creased, later on June 14, concert-goers customary accuracy and with style willing to take a short “T”–ride to St. appropriate to the dances. Paul’s Church, Brookline, heard From An audience of about 30 “early the Depths—three excellent performers risers,” supplemented by more concert- associated with Indiana University’s goers as the morning went on, gathered Early Music Institute. The fairly quiet, at St. Paul’s Cathedral on June 15 for mid-afternoon leafy suburban setting, the 15th Annual ARS Great Recorder with beautifully sparse church sanctuary, Relay. One of few free events during the and the moderate attendance, lent an air Festival, the annual set of performances of mystery to this fabulous concert— allows emerging professionals to be almost as if the audience had been heard, while giving established players a invited to an exceptional secret event. chance to put together innovative or A reading of much of the Knight’s Tale, experimental programs. This year’s offer- from the Canterbury Tales of Chaucer, ing contained it all.
10 American Recorder First up was the busy Jennifer Car- an unflappable Gregory penter, whose first notes filled the reso- Bynum. His first five pieces nant space with a lively solo soprano ren- (listed, not in order on dition of Jacob van Eyck’s Buffons. She the program, as Lonati, was joined by three other performers Bononcini, Braun, Haym from the University of North Texas and Purcell) were played early music program before they all had with no pause, after which to leave for rehearsal and two perform- he launched into what was ances by that accomplished group. (With certainly the Bach fourth numerous overlapping events on Friday, ’cello suite. His technically it was unfortunately not possible to cov- clean performance, with er either of the UNT offerings—two dif- flowing runs, would have definitely ferent programs on “France and Beyond” garnered more applause if it had been and “Music of the Peruvian Baroque.” clearer to the audience when to clap. Under the direction of Lyle Nordstrom, A brief break allowed the last group to this successful collegium and Baroque set up amplification for the final segment ensemble program has produced several featuring John Tyson on recorders and Festival fringe programs of note over the Steve Tapper on flutes and bass guitar; last several years.) the latter composed or arranged most of Billing themselves as “Just a Couple of the music they played. Tapper responded Song & Dance Men,” the two familiar to a question he had read in AR— members of Pentimento (Eric Haas, Tim Broege’s musings about who plays recorders and Renaissance flute; Olav blues on recorder—by composing a 12- Chris Henriksen, lute and cittern) bar-blues-based Morning Walk. A jam made the next Relay appearance. Provid- session version of Song ing a cohesive example of thematic pro- for Debra gave a jazz gramming, the duo first offered a pavan twist to a standard pas- of Alberti, with four other arrangements samezzo bass progres- through the 15th–16th centuries includ- sion as all ensemble ing its “Spagnoletta” variants. After doing members traded fours. similarly with the chanson Doulce mem- The morning came full oire, they sequenced through a set based circle with a crossover on the Bergamasca tune familiar to version of Van Eyck’s recorder players (and heard earlier in English Nightingale, re- Carpenter’s Buffons opening). cast in rhythm and No “fools” were these two perform- harmony as a bird of ers, who prefaced the next set with an a different color, a apt description, “Now for something Brazilian Nightingale. completely different”—a grouping start- ing with solo cittern on Les Bouffons by Adrian Le Roy, adding recorder and gradually growing into the energetic bransles by Gervaise. The audi- ence insisted on two bows for the “Song & Dance Men.” Taking off her bike helmet and taking up her recorder, Emily O’Brien took the stage next. While the program listed that she would play the well- known workhorse, J. S. Bach’s Partita in A minor, the addition of Telemann’s third fantasia to her segment was welcome. ARS Relay participants Both pieces were well-executed, with her (clockwise from top, Telemann especially containing clean l to r): soprano Sarah leaps and register changes plus some Griffiths, recorderist Jennifer Carpenter, ’cellist Eric Smith and lutenist Everett Red- dramatic finger vibrato effects. burn; “Song & Dance Men” Eric Haas and Olav Chris Henriksen; Gregory Bynum Listeners seemed confused about with Relay organizer Amanda Pond; harpist Shelly Otis, guitarist Audie Bridges, where to clap amidst a set of short pieces, Steve Tapper (here playing bass guitar) and recorderist John Tyson; Emily O’Brien. nonetheless played well on alto by
September 2007 11 Adjourning to a crowded church par- the Boston Center for Adult Education. through the 17th centuries. Three pieces lor, the audience was given the opportu- This Boston-based recorder trio (Sarah by Vincenzo Ruffo showcased well their nity to meet and greet two honorees: Cantor, Héloïse Degrugillier and ability to interpret a range of moods, ARS Distinguished Achievement Justin Godoy) was joined for the from lively and playful in La Danza, to Award recipient Joel Newman, a musi- performance by Bay Area recorderist a slowly flowing and contemplative cologist and music editor whose early Judith Linsenberg. O Felici Ochi Miei, and including rapid (and still ongoing) efforts on behalf of the The opening four-part chanson, Ung passagework in the catchy La Gamba. ARS were recently chronicled in parts of gay bergier by Crecquillon, literally set A set of pieces from the 14th-century an article on ARS history (printed in the the tone for the concert, with the lush presented repertory not frequently heard March/May 2007 issues of AR); and sound of their matched set of Bob Marvin today in performances by recorder Presidential Special Honor Award Renaissance recorders (here an alto, two ensembles. Jacobo da Bologna’s Morir recipient Anthony Rowland–Jones, a tenors and a bass) filling the hall. Each desio showcased Degrugillier’s nimble writer, researcher and teacher who has part was clearly delineated, proving the and fluid playing of the florid, rhythmi- unselfishly shared his writings on ballroom to have an excellent acoustic for cally challenging melodic line. Their recorder iconography and technique recorders. clever arrangement of the estampie Tre with AR readers for decades. The two had The second piece on the program Fontaine (featuring Cantor on soprano) never met each other, despite each hav- was a repeat of the same Crecquillon brought a burst of applause from the ing a long involvement with the recorder chanson, but with Linsenberg playing audience after its abrupt, unison ending. and early music—and their first conver- Giovanni Bassano’s intricate and Linsenberg joined the trio again in sation had to be cut short in order to demanding ornamentations of the two later Baroque works. She and Cantor begin the award proceedings. soprano line, promising a concert full of performed Telemann’s Sonata in E Flat While the award ceremony was being virtuosity as well. minor (from his late collection of conducted, Tarantella Recorder Most of the concert featured the galant flute duets). Tossing back and Consort performed across town under Tarantella trio performing a wide variety forth themes, they accentuated the the gold-leaf medallion of musical of repertoire ranging from the 14th playfulness and harmonic surprises instruments that garnishes the gallery in Telemann presents. the elegant, Baroque-style ballroom at The program ended with all four recorder players giving an im- pressive and nuanced perform- ance of Vivaldi’s Concerto in C Ma- jor (Op. 44, No. 11) as arranged by Bertho Driever. Many recorder players are familiar with this piece in its original form as a concerto for sopranino recorder (or picco- lo) and strings. Driever’s arrange- ment for AATB recorders is a tour de force that provides enough 16th-notes for all, from bass on
Clockwise from top left, l to r: Anthony Rowland-Jones shows his ARS Presidential Special Honor Award and Joel Newman his ARS Distinguished Achievement Award. Well-wishers at the reception: Amanda Pond and Christina Rowland-Jones; Early Music America Magazine editor Benjamin Dunham, Peacock Press’s Ruth Burbidge with Anthony; Sue Groskreutz, Martha Bixler, Melvyn Pond, Marilyn Perlmutter and Bonnie Kelly.
12 American Recorder At left, Sarah Cantor (l) and Judith Linsenberg with Tarantella Recorder Consort; right, members of the Early Music America Medieval/Renais- sance competition winner Ensemble La Rota (Tobie Miller, recorders, l). Photos by Charles Coldwell. Rota, winners of the 2006 EMA Medieval/Renaissance competition (see the report in the January 2007 AR). Tobie Miller tastefully played soprano and tenor recorders, plus hurdy gurdy— occasionally also singing. A foot-tapping encore, following three bows at the end, up. Their driving, energetic execution of employed right-on unison female singing continued his musical studies in violin, the rapid passages (including uncom- interspersed with florid soprano keyboard and composition, and learned mon agility on the tenor recorder by recorder. No leading tones were em- how to dance. Lully was chosen while Godoy); elaborate and elegantly soaring ployed in constructing this program. still in his teens to compose the music for embellishments by Linsenberg on the so- Many of the audience members pro- court ballets, in which he sometimes lo line in the Adagio; and the rapid volley ceeded directly from Ensemble La Rota danced side by side with the young king, of the original’s solo part between Lin- to the EMA annual meeting in the Em- Lully used recorders “only” about 60 senberg and Cantor on alto recorders manuel Parish Hall. Announced there times in his operatic works, but he was contributed to a wonderful and fitting was the awarding of an EMA scholarship careful in his use, being aware of their close to a program that capably featured to Alexa Raine-Wright, recorder, a high symbolic associations, which can be both the sublime and the virtuosic sides school student from St. Paul, MN, who divided into roughly six categories: of the recorder. also received an ARS scholarship to 1. pastoral life, as in the four-part consort It’s worth hearing any concert where attend the Amherst Early Music Festival. of alto, tenor, basset and contra bass used Jim Miller plays cornetto, but the pro- There was just time to make a pass in the “Ritournelle de flustes a 4 parties” gram offered Friday afternoon in through the exhibition back at the Radis- of Ballet des Arts (1663); 2. love and mar- Emmanuel Church’s music room by son Hotel, hearing the young players of riage, as in the “Prélude pour l’amour” in Infiorare also offered the chance to hear Brophy School Recorder Club (see this the ballet Le Triomphe de l’Amour (1681); a rarely-heard and evocative work by issue’s “Education” department for an 3. soft and charming sounds, including Joaquín Rodrigó (whose lifespan of interview with director/founder Bonnie running water, as in the tragédie lyrique 1901-99 almost filled the 20th century Kelly). Then it was time to head down- Atys (1676; Atys sleeps near some and whose Concierto de Aranjuez for gui- stairs to a lecture by Anthony Row- streams, dreaming of love); and Acis et tar has filled many a concert hall). Using land–Jones on Lully’s Use of recorder Galatée (1686; Acis is metamorphosed actual scoring, the three-movement symbolism in his ballets, comédies-ballets, into a river); 4. death and funeral pomp, Liricas Castellanas (1980) was offered up and tragédies lyriques. The lecture was heard in the tragédie lyrique Psyché beautifully using voice, cornetto, especially timely because most attending (1678) when it is decreed that Psyché be recorder (Holly Mentzer) and vihuela. had either just seen or were about to see offered as a sacrifice to the Serpent in In a constantly-changing ensemble of the spectacular BEMF production of the underworld; 5. otherworldliness and six instrumentalists, some also singing, it Lully’s Psyché, wherein recorders play an magic, as in Psyché and many others; was dizzying to keep up with who was important role. 6. music for the gods and muses, as when performing which part during a program Jean Baptiste Lully was not a pioneer Apollo descends with the muses at the that ranged from Antonio Cabezón to a in the use of recorders in classical French end of Alceste (1674). ground by Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz—but ballet and opera (he would not have used These categories spill over into each the packed room of 40 listeners didn’t that word, as opera was for the Italians). other. For instance, although recorders care and applauded thunderously In fact, recorders were used in pastoral on stage mourn the dangerous trip throughout. The last piece, the anony- ballets as early as 1581. Psyché must take to the underworld, it is mous El baxel est en la playa (The boat is Lully was a native Italian (born in quite clear to the audience that in the end on the shore), featured florid cornetto Florence in 1632) brought to the French Psyché will be united with her beloved ornamentations (Miller) and the whole court to serve as a page in the household L’Amour, that love will conquer all, and ensemble in four-part singing. Ay, ay! of Mlle. de Montpensier, first cousin to that all will live happily ever after. Downstairs in the very resonant Louis XIV, when Lully was only 13 years Rowland-Jones showed these themes acoustics of Emmanuel’s Lindsey old. The young man was not only musi- with slides of period art (Titian, Claude, Chapel, an EMA concert had already cally gifted but a born courtier, who soon Rubens, et al). An article based on his started. The packed room of 200, with learned to make his way in royal society. talk will appear in AR in 2008. audience members hanging out of two Before long he was a member of the With chirping birds in the ambient entrances and standing in porticos, king’s band; in 1656 he was director of sound of Cutler Majestic Theater, the heard ethereal meanderings and ener- his own band, the petits violons. stage was set for the three-hour center- getic musicianship of Ensemble La He quickly learned to speak French, piece of the 2007 BEMF, Psyché. It was
September 2007 13 offered five times during the Festival Another busy day of performances week, and later in the Berkshires of Mass- began on June 16 with Musical Play- achusetts. As in previous years’ produc- ground, as a respectable-sized audience tions, its staging was lavish and some- arrived at the Goethe-Institut to hear this times over-the-top. Costuming and use ensemble from Bremen, Germany. of color were always effective, as when Musical Playground is regularly a trio the onstage recorder trio (AAB) was clad of recorder, lute and harpsichord, but for in purple with elaborate head-dresses, this performance featured two of the the grievers processing group: Martina Bley, recorders; and with them also wearing Jörg Jacobi, harpsichord. Their program garb trimmed in purple. was advertised as “Handel’s opera over- In typical opera fashion, tures & arias curiously fitted & contrived Psyché does not perish, but for a single flute & basso continuo,” is instead taken up to the and exemplifies the hallmark of Musical skies. In fact, a significant Playground—innovative programming chunk of the opera involves around interesting themes of little characters flying, or observ- known or recently discovered works. ing the feasting and danc- Their clever idea, to take Handel’s opera ing of the gods below, while arias and instrumental pieces that appear suspended indefinitely in in publications for recorder solo, and a swing (with seatbelts ap- craft continuo accompaniments for propriately fastened). them, provided an entertaining concert. The orchestra, sitting as Highlights included an energetic if at a banquet table at the front of the execution of the virtuosic fugal section in audience’s orchestra level, included the Ouverture from Alexander, with 16th- its own colorful use of winds, brass note runs in the recorder answered by and percussion, some of the last two 16th-note runs in both the left and right also appearing ceremonially on stage hands of the harpsichord; and Bley’s late in the opera. Playing oboes and effective imitation of bird calls, chirps, recorders from the “pit” were Gonza- and trills, culminating in a final cadenza lo Ruiz, Washington McClain, De- of chirps and runs in “Augeletti, che can- bra Nagy and Kathryn Montoya, ta” from Rinaldo, which brought chuck- with Montoya called on most fre- les and applause from the audience. quently to play soprano in dance seg- Their virtuosity was not always ments of the opera. balanced by a connection with the audience, which was also an observation about their 2005 BEMF program. How- ever, festival-goers could visit personally with Bley and Jacobi at their booth in the exhibition, where they displayed the product of another joint venture— edition baroque, publisher of Jacobi’s edi- tions of the music they perform, as well as a variety of recorder and other music. La Donna Musicale, a group of nine talented women led by gambist Laury Gutiérrez, presented an extravaganza in the auditorium of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology for a small group of lucky people later that Saturday morn- ing. First the audience was treated to an enormous brunch, accompanied by a In the BEMF exhibition (from top, l to silent auction and a CD release, while sit- r): Ruth Burbidge and an unidentified ting at tables with name placards on woman chat with Joel Newman, still them, as at a wedding. Then all heard a holding his award certificate; Eric lecture by Catherine Gordon-Seifert Haas writes up a sale at the Early on “Precious Eroticism and Hidden Music Shop of New England as Nik Morality,” discussing the encoded erotic von Huene, Emily O’Brien and a customer look on; around the corner at the language in 17th- and 18th-century Von Huene Workshop booth, Joan Kimball of Piffaro, Patrick von Huene and French airs. The lecture was entertaining Tricia van Oers; Lee Collins tests a recorder to see if it needs work; Charles as well as instructive, and well-delivered Fischer (standing) visits Jean-Luc Boudreau. in a somewhat cavernous room.
14 American Recorder The concert that followed, entitled chapter activities and how to encourage “The Pleasures of Love and Libation,” Leenhouts likened it more chapter members to join ARS. was of music composed entirely by After that, Tom Zajac led nearly 30 French women of the 17th and early 18th to applying a little people in what one might call an hour of centuries—some with familiar names; “mascara” to the notes, “eight from four.” Playing began with a some not familiar, like Julie Pinel. Most four-part canon, with the following choir were songs of love; welcome words and dressing them up a bit. imitating the first, a perfect fourth higher. translations were in the program. Other pieces required that one group All of the performers, too numerous everybody a good time. He encouraged read the music in reverse. Once one got to list here, acquitted themselves well: her to play some of the many notes with the hang of it, the process worked well— the three singers had lovely voices and insouciance, as though they were photo- and the group enjoyed doing something poised stage presence; and the ensemble copies of the original. This made them just a bit out of the ordinary. playing of harpsichordists and theorbo sound playful, as intended. The per- The June 17 afternoon concert by The was solid. Na’ama Lion’s flute playing former must find which notes to empha- Royal Wind Music was a program enti- was impeccable. Wonder of wonders: size, and also which harmonic changes to tled “The God’s Flute Heaven” (a trans- Gutiérrez got the entire audience to sing emphasize, and then relax in between. lation of Der Fluyten Lust-hof of Jacob van a three-part air à boire from facsimile, Finally, when playing both tutti and Eyck). Indeed, a flute heaven—featuring lustily if not with enormous finesse. solo sections of a movement of a concer- consort music from 16th- and 17th- The brunch, lecture and concert were to, the solo section can be announced by century Spanish Netherlands collec- a huge and worthwhile undertaking. Let slowing down a trifle, then speeding up. tions—descended on Jordan Hall. Per- us hope that it will result in many CDs Ching-wei Lin played a movement forming on instruments ranging from being sold by this charming group. from Pete Rose’s I’d rather be in Philadel- sopranino to subcontra bass, 10 players Three talented young recorder players phia, a whimsical piece Rose wrote for switched instruments frequently while performed at the master class with Paul and dedicated to Judy Linsenberg, who two remained on contra and subcontra. Leenhouts later on June 16 in the happened to be sitting in the audience. Their Renaissance-type recorders result- Emmanuel Church music room. Leen- Linsenberg explained the background of ed in a rich, unified sound, especially houts gave each performer food for the piece. It was inspired by a visit Rose with an emphasis on low recorders (most thought, at the same time encouraging made to her, a native Philadelphian, of the concert was performed at 8' pitch). them all in a way that drew out their best while she was visiting her parents there. Continuing the feast metaphor, their performances. His theme throughout the She had errands to do, one of which was program consisted of 12 courses, each class appeared to be: ”Use your imagina- to visit the optometrist, and Rose accom- featuring two or more delicious dishes. tion and try things in different ways.” panied her on that errand. So the move- The musical food was rich in contrapun- Leenhouts recommended that Mar- ment is titled: “Optometrist.” A typical tal elaboration and variations on popular garet Harper (who, astonishingly, had Rose piece with an optimistic jazzy beat, tunes, with surprising harmonic turns only been studying recorder for a year, it was expertly performed by the young like the stunningly dissonant chord near although she was already a trained musi- artist, even though he was startled to the end of Bach’s chorale setting Leit cian) try some very subtle notes inégales discover that the dedicatee was in the au- uns mit deiner rechten Hand (BWV 90). on the eighth-notes in the Sarabande of dience. Again Leenhouts suggested try- Though there was some handsome the Bach Partita in C Minor for flute. ing to treat the piece in different ways solo playing by Erik Bosgraaf and Leenhouts likened it to applying a little and with different tempos, even though Stephanie Brandt—and an exhilarating “mascara” to the notes, dressing them up the composer specifies a metronome improvisation on Van Eyck’s Buffons by a bit. At the same time he emphasized marking. He also asked the performer to Andreas Bölden that took him not only keeping both a steady overall beat (even imagine he was playing with a band. all over the stage, but out into the though the sarabande by this time was Ching-wei played next the very famil- audience—this was essentially ensemble no longer a dance) and thinking of the iar gavotte from the Bach violin partita music rather than soloistic music. These long line—“telling the story.” no. 3 arranged for recorder. Leenhouts 12 players showed their command not He got Meg Harper to relax while suggested that he attempt to make it by fast passagework (which was not lack- playing the two most difficult notes on more playful, even putting forth the very ing) but by how completely they had the alto recorder, high D and high F, so as interesting idea that the performer try internalized the music: the entire two- to get away from the “lemon-faced high sounding the double-stops (impossible hour program was played from memory. F.” The result was high notes beautifully to do on a recorder, of course, so they can Conductor Paul Leenhouts was the played by the young musician. only be suggested by playing two notes only one with a score, enabling the group Lisa Harper gave the audience a quickly, one after the other) at different to perform entrances and releases with dazzling rendition of the Allegro molto speeds, adding a welcome interest and incredible precision—all the while stay- (third) movement of a Vivaldi concerto in expressiveness to the performance. ing very low-key in his conducting style. C major for sopranino recorder. Leen- On the next morning, the last for It was a heavenly concert fit for the houts accompanied her on another many at the Festival, some 14 people— gods, and a satiating end of a week for recorder, playing the essential notes of including several ARS Board members, recorder enthusiasts at BEMF. the continuo part. He reminded this past and present—met at NEC’s Jordan Tom Bickley, Martha Bixler, Charles poised and talented young woman—and Hall for an ARS “Town Hall Meeting” Coldwell, Alan Karass, Bonnie Kelly, his audience—that the third movement with past president Alan Karass moder- John Nelson, Gail Nickless, Marilyn of a Vivaldi concerto is there to give ating. Discussion centered mostly on Perlmutter and Anita Randolfi
September 2007 15 BEMF AND RECORDERS—SOME AFTERTHOUGHTS by Anthony Rowland-Jones But BEMF then relies for most of the dishes in its “Feast of the Gods” theme hrough the generosity of both the upon so-called fringe concerts, of which TAmerican and British Recorder Soci- many are fully professional. Spread over eties, I was able to attend the Boston Ear- six days, there were over 80 fringe con- ly Music Festival in June so that I could certs–almost half of them on the Thurs- receive in person the ARS Presidential day and Friday of the weeklong Festival! Special Honor Award, for which I am We tried to get to three Festival events truly grateful. I was particularly moved each day. The fringe concerts we man- by the wording of the certificate which so aged to attend each attracted audiences well sums up my life-long love of making of up to 100. music with recorders. While the Festival Committee chose Of the 12 instruments within the its main concerts knowing what to ex- design of the BEMF logo (shown at right), pect in quality and variety, those offering four are recorders. This, I assume, is an Playing Recorder Sonatas)—will be richly fringe concerts selected their own pro- invitation to recorder players to come to rewarded for their hard work. The results grams, hoping that they would appeal to the Festival in order to benefit from of such application right up to profes- a BEMF clientele. Many of these pro- hearing professional recorder-playing at sional level were marvellously on display grams were fascinatingly imaginative— a very high level in a wide range of at Boston, and enjoyment of the music introducing music by little-known com- musical contexts. Almost inevitably, was there for everybody. posers, often of high quality. Most of special benefit is likely to be derived by The centerpiece of BEMF is its lavish- them concentrated tightly on one theme, those recorder players whose own ly produced Baroque opera, this year not spreading across different genres and experience and knowledge of recorder Jean-Baptiste Lully’s Psyché. Lully uses periods—this I believe is all to the good. technique and of the nuances of inter- recorders in many of his dramatic Quite a number used themes related to pretation of the recorder’s varied early works—but sparingly, and with mean- Lully; for example, the Italian music Car- music repertoire falls not too far short of ing, so the effect of their sounds is dinal Mazarin tried to introduce to the Boston level. But at least two of the greatly enhanced. In Psyché recorders Parisian audiences, or the music played concerts at Boston were so outstanding were played on stage during a funeral in Italy during the years of Lully’s child- that the whole audience’s perception of rites scene (at BEMF by Héloïse hood in Florence. Many of these concerts the recorder’s capabilities must surely Degrugillier, Justin Godoy and Tom could be seen as lessons in program- have been transformed. Zajac). The appearance of recorders in building for directors of recorder groups. The recorder is unique amongst Psyché is a salutary reminder that most of Over 60% of the fringe concerts were serious musical instruments in that it is the greatest Baroque music specifying of 17th-century music. Not so long ago possible to master the elementary stage recorders is in vocal contexts, such as concerts by 17th-century composers (covered by my book Introduction to the Bach’s cantatas, Handel’s operas and other than Monteverdi or Purcell would Recorder) relatively easily, up to the Purcell’s dramatic works. have failed to draw adequate audiences. point where considerable enjoyment Much Baroque music produced for This revival of interest in 17th-century can be derived by participating with gentleman amateur recorder players is music bodes well for recorders, as they other recorder players in undemanding rather second-rate. Handel’s sonatas, remained in vogue in the early years consort and ensemble music, often by Telemann’s chamber-music and Vivaldi’s of the century and then enjoyed a strong great composers such as Byrd or Purcell, concertos (see the new Ashgate book on revival from about 1670 onwards. 20% a sufficient objective in itself. In Vivaldi’s Flute and Recorder Music by of the concerts were of Medieval and Australia—and I imagine in many parts Federico Sardelli) are exceptional. Renaissance music. of America—players travel long dis- There is virtually no Baroque music Ten (i.e., 12%) of the fringe concerts tances to attend a monthly “blow-in” for recorder consort, so we rely on included recorders, of which only one (as it is called there), and woe betide any arrangements. But this is exactly what was for only recorders (at noon on Friday, conductor who reduces their pleasure Renaissance and Baroque players did to June 15, when we were otherwise en- by talking too much! But they are not so extend their repertoire. gaged at the ARS awards ceremony!). committed to the recorder as to wish to Of the 14 concerts within the main Seven included transverse flute. Exactly devote a considerable amount of Festival, only two involved recorders, the half of the concerts involved one or more valuable time, if any at all, to practicing main one being Paul Leenhouts’s “The singers, and there were very few solo between these occasions. Royal Wind Music” ensemble of 14 instrumental recitals. This balance On the other hand, players who recorders, equivalent to a smallish strikes me as just about ideal. decide to give the time, and who have the recorder orchestra. Quite properly, they The recorder is primarily an instru- determination, to realize the recorder’s concentrated on repertoire from the 16th ment to be played with other full potentialities as a musical instru- century, where most of the early music instruments and voice; all-recorder ment—so that they can then interpret actually played by a recorder consort is to consorts then provide extremely a wider range of its music in a historical- be found, much of it neglected and un- enjoyable diversions with a very ly informed style (as in my main book dervalued by today’s recorder groups. special—and therefore not to be over-
16 American Recorder a great deal of Baroque music—is con- Godoy and Degrugillier, who both also ... what differentiated ceived in terms of song or of dance, and appeared on-stage in Psyché. The moving their quality was their often both together. Moreover, improvi- spirit in the group was the harpsichord sation was at the heart of music-making. player Joseph Gascho, but they all closeness to the purposes Instrumental music should sound as if it worked together so spontaneously and were vocally-inspired (and much Renais- with almost incredible accord, even in and ideas underlying the sance instrumental music is derived improvized variations, and with equally original composition of directly from compositions with actual enthusiastic playing from their plucked words, the meaning of which needs to be strings player William Simms and a bril- the music they played. expressed) and/or danced to—and that liant ’cellist, Nika Zlataric´, that no one involves knowing and imagining the person should really be picked out. To used—sound of their own. I should dance-steps. It should sound so sponta- add to this, the group had, in Ah Young almost say that this year’s BEMF shows neous that listening to it engages the au- Honh, a truly expressive singer with a that the “recorder revival” is now over; dience to the extent that they feel that clear and liquid soprano voice, whose today the recorder is at least accepted in they want to sing, or to get up and dance. Monteverdi singing especially was deeply its rightful place in early music, and the Some groups seemed to be looking moving. trickle of good music for recorders begun hard at the music on their stands and When the instrumentalists, particu- in the 1950s has now turned into a spate. proceeding from one note to the next larly the recorder players, then worked But while, of course, recorder players with no phrases, sentences or para- the vocal music into improvizations, they should continue to enjoy their own com- graphs, playing without a song or dance never lost sight of the phrasing and pany, there is still not enough amateur in their hearts. Ideally, early music meaning of the original words—so that, music-making with recorders in mixed sounds best when it is memorized, so however florid, the diminutions became ensembles. that it becomes part of the player for a commentary on the meaning of the Not all the fringe concerts were well- communication to an audience. It is not text of the song, not a mere show of performed. It seemed to me that, apart just blobs on paper. virtuosity. Diego Ortiz called such from technical proficiency, what differen- The finest demonstration of this in a ornamentation “a gloss” (glosas). tiated their quality was their closeness mixed consort was given by a group spe- On the last day of the Festival, to the purposes and ideas underlying the cializing in early 17th-century Italian we heard the same sensitive approach original composition of the music they music, but calling itself The Harmo- accorded to music mainly from the 16th played. nious Blacksmith (nothing to do with century, but played entirely on recorders Almost all Renaissance music—and Handel). The recorder players were (including very rapid passages on a
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September 2007 17 orchestra. In my view, their sound is Leenhouts’s group are probably unat- It is interesting to exactly what a large recorder group tainable by amateurs. All the instruments should aim at. Half the group consists of are made by the same maker, Adriana compare BEMF with basses, in all four sizes. This enables Breukink. The entire program was festivals in Britain, where them to diversify into a smaller group at memorized, without even spoken intro- 8' sound with tenor on the top line, or ductions to remind the players what the summer music festivals to 4' from great bass or basset bass to following piece was and what instrument soprano, even extending to sopranino they should be playing next. The stage are numerous and their and garklein (one only!). management was so quiet and quick that The program was devised with such changes were almost unnoticed. All this number increasing. single-mindedness, however, that, requires considerable application and although there was ample stage space discipline. subcontra bass in C with no noise of to separate into sections, no polychoral It is interesting to compare BEMF rattling keys). When Leenhouts’s music was included. with festivals in Britain, where summer “The Royal Wind Music” group of 14 In principle, just as any amateur music festivals are numerous and their players becomes better-known—they string orchestra manages to obtain number increasing. Just in East Anglia, have recently issued their first CD, Alla instruments down to an expensive dou- there are seven, two of which are devoted dolce ombra, on the Lindoro label—they ble bass, a recorder orchestra should entirely to early music. will surely revolutionize attitudes (mine, have at least one contra (F), preferably The most prestigious early music fes- for example) towards that extraordinary more than one, as well as several great tival in the U.K. is the one held annually modern phenomenon, the recorder basses and bassets. Other aspects of in York, which houses the National Cen- tre for Early Music in a converted church. The concerts mainly take place in the Provincetown Bookshop Editions Minster, and in York’s many Medieval “GO FOR NEO-BAROQUE!” churches. No U.K. early music festival adopts the Boston formula of having a world-class event (the Baroque opera) Andrew Charlton: Partita Piccola. For 4 Recorders (SATB) plus a dozen or so other very attractive [Prelude; Allemande; Courante; Musette— concerts, and then inviting early music a neo-baroque epitome!] (Score & Parts, PBE-25) ...... $7.95 groups to create a fringe program of some 80 further events. Andrew Charlton: Suite Moderne. For 3 Recorders (ATB) The BEMF exhibition is matched by [Baroque shapes but Hindemithian harmony] the trade exhibition held annually in (3 Playing-Scores, PBE-44) ...... $9.95 glorious Baroque surroundings in Green- wich; the concerts that have developed Southwest of Baroque. David Goldstein’s “baroque Suite” out of that occasion have now raised the on Cowboy Songs. For 2 Recorders (SA) (PBE-2) ...... $3.50 event to a “festival” of early music. No A good source for Recorder & Viol Music of all publishers. U.K. festival offers “symposia” related to the central theme and of both academic The Provincetown Bookshop, Inc. and general interest—it would be good if 246 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA 02657 Tel. (508)487-0964 the larger U.K. festivals added this to their attractions. The nearest parallel to the BEMF formula is the Edinburgh International Festival, but this is of the arts generally. They offer world-class opera, a major art exhibition, and of course the Tattoo in Edinburgh Castle. Early in its history, outside groups such as university dra- matic societies took up the opportunity to create a fringe of other events in church halls and elsewhere, and this has now become a major attraction. It is not, however, part of the Festival proper— indeed, some fringe events are rather “way out.” Of course, the Edinburgh Festival organizers can take no responsi- bility for the nature of its “fringe festival”—just as BEMF, which reaps richness in its feast of fringe events, cannot take complete responsibility for all of its sumptuous repast.
18 American Recorder sound environment conducive to the well- Greensboro were the parts that are Bits & Pieces being of patients and staff in Bay Area actually by Mozart—the cadenzas; these medical centers, convalescent homes and sparkled in ways that seemed strongly other institutions. The program grew out contrasted with the rest of the piece, of director Eileen Hadidian’s personal despite Mozart's idiomatic transcrip- The Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quar- experience with breast cancer. tions.” Performers on the concert included tet (ALSQ) web site
September 2007 19 ______EDUCATION ______Mary Halverson Waldo interviews Bonnie Kelly about the Brophy School Recorder Club
MHW: I understand that your students Bonnie Kelly performed at the Boston Early Music Festival (playing in June. What was the venue? soprano, in BK: We performed right in the middle of profile) leads the exhibits on the mezzanine level of the the Brophy Radisson Hotel. Our program consisted of Elementary the repertoire we’d been performing dur- Recorder Club ing the school year. The music was a mix- during the ture that ranged from Renaissance pieces 2007 Boston like Pastime with Good Company, and Early Music Arbeau’s Haye Branle, to an arrangement Festival. of the rock hit Surfin’ USA. Current music teacher Cyndy MHW: Have they ever performed at other Page is playing events in the region? tenor behind BK: The group has performed in concert, students at and as part of sessions I’ve presented— center. for our local Orff chapter; the National AOSA Conference in 2000 in Rochester, MHW: So the volunteers for the Club are BK: There are anywhere from 18 to 24 NY; and the Massachusetts All-State from larger recorder classes you were teach- students in a typical fourth or fifth grade Music Conference. ing during school hours? class, and there are two standard classes at BK: All children in third grade learn to each of those grade levels. There are also MHW: Is this group from the public school play the recorder. I continue to use the some bilingual classes, but unfortunately where you have been teaching? recorder in fourth and fifth grades. they are not always well represented in the BK: The Brophy School Recorder Club Recorder Club is open to any fourth- or group. (BSRC) comes from Brophy Elementary fifth-grader who is interested in doing BSRC membership varies with the School in Framingham, MA, where I spent even more playing on a regular basis. years. When I first started the group 20 the last 20 years of my 35-year teaching There is no audition process, so there years ago, I only had a handful of kids. career. The other years, still in Framing- are many levels of playing ability. I try The largest group, about six or seven years ham, were mostly in middle school. I to choose music that addresses all ago, was around 45 (!). During the imported several boys (BSRC alumni) levels, sometimes even creating an easier 2005-06 school year, there were about from the middle school to play alto and harmony part for those with less ability. 40 kids. More than 50% of the standard bass in June, since the current members fifth-grade students were participants. who played those instruments couldn’t be MHW: How many students are in a typical This past year we started out with there. BEMF took place after the school class during school hours? And how many of about 35 and ended up with 30. I should year had ended, so many of the kids were those would also attend the Recorder Club? mention that one of the members during away and couldn’t make the performance. Education Committee Survey Now Online! MHW: How do you incorporate a recorder We apologize for the delay in getting the education committee survey online. We are club into the busy schedule of a public school happy to say that the survey is now available at:
20 American Recorder the past two years has been one of the fifth-grade teachers. Technique Tip MHW: Wow! Having a fifth-grade teacher Tight throat? Here’s a way to open it. involved is a huge vote of confidence for you If you find yourself with a tight throat while playing the recorder, and a great example for the kids. try this tip to train your throat to stay open and relaxed. Say “nnngggaaaahh!” Wow! Having a The first part of this sound brings the soft palate and the back of the fifth-grade teacher tongue together. The second part separates them, thus opening the throat. Now make the same movement without the vocalization. You should be able involved [in the to clearly feel the opening and closing of the throat. Now play a medium-length tone without using your tongue to start or stop it-use only your air. Notice Recorder Club] is a how your throat feels. If it closes to start or stop the tone, do the first part of huge vote of confidence the exercise again to remember how an open throat feels. Notice that not being allowed to start or stop the tone with your tongue or for you and a great throat makes you more conscious of your breath support muscles— the abdominal, diaphragm, and rib cage muscles. An open example for the kids. throat contributes to a free and beautiful sound. Tish Berlin BK: Yes, Eric is great and the kids love helping him with the music!
MHW: Have you found your Orff training to be useful in your work with these large recorder classes, with various levels of ability? BK: Yes, my Orff training has played a big part in my teaching of the recorder, although I already had the recorder program and ensemble going before I did my Orff levels [exams]. I especially use echoing, and call and response in begin- ning recorder. The older kids love to improvise using questions and answers. I don’t arrange that many pieces, but when I do, I use simple one- or two-note harmonies that anyone can play. The more capable players get the melody.
MHW: So you keep everyone actively engaged on their own level. No wonder they keep coming back for more! Do you have anything else to share? BK: You know that I retired last year. I continued directing the BSRC this year with the help of the new music teacher, Cyndy Page. She will pretty much do the directing next year and I’ll help, espe- cially with selecting the music. Also, I have to include the fact that the parents have always been such a great support in every way, especially where transportation to different events is concerned; and, of course, getting their kids to rehearsals.
MHW: You have left a valuable legacy of music-making to the Brophy School. Thank you, Bonnie! Mary Halverson Waldo
September 2007 21 didjeridu, lower brass instruments like euphonium and tuba as well as sackbut, recorders, tin whistle, wooden and ethnic flutes, bass, and some piano. He plays early music on sackbut, recorder and flute. He In a Manner Born: composes and arranges, and works as a music educator in the Connecticut schools during the winter. Baron has toured with Buddy Rich, An Interview with Jazz Duke Ellington and Stevie Wonder. He also played with Cootie Williams (1908?-85, trumpeter known for his mastery of mutes Musician Art Baron and expressive effects), Paul Gonsalves (1920–74, tenor saxophonist who played with Duke), and Harry Carney (1900-74, by Frances Feldon This article is the fourth in a series on wind player who sold Duke on using the American jazz and pop music recorder baritone saxophone in his band, becoming players. (See the January 2005 AR for the Duke’s closest confidant). Most recently, he initial article, interviewing jazz drummer was on a world tour with Bruce Springsteen, and recorder player Eddie Marshall. It was playing trombone and other instruments in followed in September 2005 by an interview Springsteen’s arrangements of Pete Seeger with Terry Kirkman of The Association, tunes (you can see this show on PBS). then in March 2006 with Dudley-Brian Aside from being one of the few truly Smith of Smithfield Fair.) professional pop and jazz recorder players Art Baron’s name was introduced to me in the world, Baron is especially fortunate by recorder student Dean Lobovits, who to have played recorder for Duke Ellington happened to go to high school with Art and on October 24, 1973, in Winchester Abbey The author performs chamber music with whom he is still friendly. I made plans (London) in a performance of The Duke’s with Flauti Diversi, an ensemble to meet and interview Art in New York City, Third Sacred Concert, commemorating specializing in Baroque/contemporary NY, in May 2005 for this series on jazz and the 28th anniversary of the United Nations. works, and Danza!, a Renaissance pop recorder players. This Sacred Concert, entitled “The Majesty mixed consort. She teaches recorder and Alas, I became very ill with an ear of God,” celebrates October 24 as UN Day Baroque flute privately at her studio in infection and could not fly, but Rebecca in theme and content. In fact, it is a sacred Berkeley, CA, and is a regular conductor Arkenberg, an ARS Board member who concerto: multiple sections using contrast- and faculty member at recorder workshops lives nearby, flew to my rescue and was ing instrumental and vocal forces, with throughout North America. Ms. Feldon kind enough to arrange to meet with vocal solos, choral passages, instrumental directs the SFEMS Recorder Workshop him for a preliminary research interview. interludes and instrumental solos. and teaches at Albany Adult School. I formulated some interview questions that Ellington, along with John Coltrane, is In September 2003, she traveled to form the backbone of this interview (as well a great composer in the “Sacred Jazz” Montréal to conduct the recorder as the other interviews in the series) and movement; his works reflect an idiom orchestra at the international festival sent them to Rebecca. She took Art to lunch, rooted in African American religious Les Journées de la flûte à bec in her asked him those questions, and wrote up experience. “This is what we call sanctified arrangements of George Gershwin tunes. her notes. She was also kind enough to music…it [floods] my heart with the Current projects include exploring follow up and collect a publicity photo of presence and knowledge of God,” says contemporary works for recorder him with his trombone, and to remind him Archbishop Franzo King of the Church of and multiple percussion to find his copy of a recorder solo by Duke St. John Coltrane, San Francisco, CA. The and studying jazz recorder Ellington; we include his transcription here. various sections in Ellington’s concerto may through courses at the I finally caught up with him myself last highlight a particular traditional hymn Jazz School in Berkeley. May, while he was visiting in the San Fran- (such as The Lord’s Prayer), and also cisco Bay Area of California, playing some themes of love of humanity, with a kind of Ms. Feldon studied recorder and jazz gigs and teaching workshops on jazz communistic Christianism (Every Man Baroque flute at Indiana University, improvisation. He had just returned from Prays in his Own Language) as its where she completed a Doctor of Music playing in a Chinese funeral band in San metaphor and message. The musical in collegium directing. She has taught Francisco. language just happens to be that of a ’50s at Indiana University and UC Davis. Art Baron is a versatile and internation- or ’60s jazz orchestra. In October 2004, she traveled to ally respected jazz and rock artist from The recorder is given a featured solo in the International Congress of Recorder New York City, known mainly as a the section based on The Lord’s Prayer, Orchestras in Holland to conduct her trombonist. He has done commercial play- written by Ellington specifically for Baron. Ellington arrangements and ing and played “Downtown” as well, in In his accustomed way, Ellington exploits give a presentation on American cutting edge music with New York City the individual color of the recorder in his jazz and pop recorder players. groups such as Balkan jazz brass band tonal palette to a specific purpose. We tell Slavic Soul Party. Baron also plays the story in this article.
22 American Recorder FF: What kind of music do you play and In high school I started playing what are your instruments? Other musical other instruments, other brass, like With your right hand activities? euphonium with the valves, tuba, and AB: Well, today I played at a Chinese also, as a friend of mine was teaching on the trombone you’re funeral. I love to play all kinds of music. recorder at a local Jewish community Duke Ellington said that there are two center—back in the late ’60s we didn’t kinds of music, good music and bad mu- have those fancy tape recorders that just moving [the slide] sic. I like to play good music. I was could overdub so easily—he had to brought up in jazz, but I ended up play- record some recorder trios, so he got a back and forth. ing classical, playing in rock groups, folk; friend who played recorder and he I played washtub bass in a jug band. taught me how to play the third part. And Trombone was my first instrument, I thought, “This is fun,” and I started It’s cool to be using although truthfully [I played] accordion really getting into it. in third grade, which lasted about two I don’t think I was conscious of it, but lessons. My cousin and his wife were you know, with your right hand on the all your fingers [on the these gypsy [musicians]; he played trombone you’re just moving [the slide] piano, she played violin. She’s still back and forth. It’s cool to be using all recorder] .... At first when alive— she’s about 95 years old! He tried your fingers [on recorder], so I started to teach me, to get me to play accordion. playing recorder, and I started playing The most fun on the accordion was this penny whistle then, and messin’ around I used to play piano, I just one note that buzzed and it made my dog with piano. At first when I used to play go crazy. It didn’t last long! So trombone piano, I just played without thumbs, I played without thumbs .... in fifth grade, for a long time. had no idea you had to use the thumbs to play piano. Anyway, I could play the hell FF: What is your musical background, out of Jeepers Creepers without thumbs. training, and experience? Who were your One friend had a crumhorn and we mentors? Who were your mentors on messed around with stuff like that. I even recorder? How did you come to play used to carry a wooden Aulos alto recorder? recorder just for fun. I had a braided wool AB: So I played trombone since the fifth thing, like a strap, I used to carry it on my grade, and I almost quit … but my moth- shoulder, and just play it. I remember er wouldn’t let me. And I didn’t really one time, when I was a senior in high want to quit so much as I didn’t honest- school, after school I sat on the floor and ly practice as much as I was supposed to, just played recorder, and people were and she wouldn’t fill out the sheet and hangin’ out…. Some kids were visiting sign it. She said, “I’m not going to sign it, from another school, I started playing it you didn’t practice a half hour.” “Come on the steps after school. And some of on, I’m going to get in trouble, Ma.” the teachers pulled out a rulebook, “Nooo!” “Well I quit,” just out of anger. thinking that I must be doing something “You can’t quit. You got an instrument wrong or breaking some rule. I had one from the school and you deprived some- teacher who was a good friend of mine, one else of that instrument.” [Laughs] So he said, “You blew the minds of all these she said, “You have to finish the year and teachers. We were trying to then you can quit.” figure it out—there must be By the end of the year, I had some- some rule against this.” thing I could really relate with. I mean, I I had some friends who was a fairly good student—Bs, some As; played recorders, and we sports, I didn’t have any identity there, would hang out and play but music started to become an identi- duets. We had those Susato ty—it was great. My mother says that I books and all those great came home and paraphrased something things, sometimes trios— that my music teacher Mr. Franks said, and what’s that great tune, it’s “Mom, I’m going to keep the trombone like a whistle tune [sings]. over the summer. Mr. Franks said I could We’d do that on the recorders, ’cause he said I’m what you might call so we played around a lot. I gifted.” And my mother said it was so would take the head joint off hard for her not to crack up the way I said my recorder and hold the it. I practiced like crazy that summer; body up to the side of my there were town bands and stuff that I head, fingering the notes like a played in. I really, really loved it. Any- flute and listening to the thing I could get my hands on, I would sound, which no one else work on. could hear.
September 2007 23 Well, coming up in thing I have. On some gigs, I’ve actually high school, the focus in done fill-ins on breaks on piano. terms of mentors was I love to write songs. I didn’t write a more on the trombone at lot last year, I was on the road a lot. Some- the time. There were a lot times ideas just come into my head. of local guys who played, A great device is you call home into some of them who went your voice mail or the answering ma- out professionally. They chine, and you sing [your idea] into it had a thing called The and come home and work on it, write Doctor’s Band, and down snippets of things. Composing is when they came home something I love to do. Some day I’d love they were lawyers, doc- to write something for an orchestra. tors, dentists—some re- I’ve even written a recorder quartet ally great players. And .… My composition teacher, when I they were really influen- brought it in, he just thought I was a fun- tial, especially one guy ny kid and fooled around a lot. But when named Joe Didone it came to writing I really got serious who’s passed, and a few about it, and when it came to composi- other guys. I talk about tion it was like [I had] a split personality. them a lot in interviews My composition teacher who taught the ’cause some of these class was like, “Wow, you really took this guys—one of the guys seriously didn’t you?” I said “Oh yeah, I sounded like the lead al- really liked it, it was fun to do.” I mean to player from Basie— we learned some twelve-tone writing, all they were fantastic! And kinds of stuff, and I was open to every- they all really wanted to thing. mentor me. Now in terms of the recorder, I didn’t So then I went into study with anyone until after I was in college at Berklee School school at Berklee School of Music for of Music [in Boston, about two-and-a-half years. And when I MA] from 1968–71, but came to New York, I met Phil Levin [own- didn’t graduate because er until the mid-1990s of Levin Histori- I was working profes- cal Instruments] and studied some with sionally already. [He him. Man! I remember having some joined Duke Ellington’s amazing lessons with him! Those Tele- orchestra in the summer mann solo sonatas! [Sings first few bars of 1972 or ’73.] This of Telemann’s Fantasia in D Minor for fingering practice was helpful in my sec- unaccompanied recorder.] But Phil was ond year of college, when I worked with great at teaching me how to look at this Stevie Wonder and Buddy Rich and left music, interpret it, like I could with jazz school for a year. I missed the final with [already]…. my saxophone teacher, Joe Viola, and And there was another mentor and re- went back to recorder fingerings for the al great inspiration, a cellist, this guy I love to write songs.... makeup test, playing the lower register named Mike Bresler who went to Bard like a C recorder and the high register like College. And have you ever heard of a an F recorder, having to think only of the keyboard player who does early music A great device is you call notes on the break. named Francie Fitch? She’s in the Boston I got into writing arrangements and area. She was in school there. So I would started to compose music, and you come visit Mike and we’d play recorder home into your voice mail know, as a helping hand—which I still duets and stuff. And this guy named Luis do sometimes when I’m composing, Garcia Renard—he was so trained, he or the answering machine, song writing—composing and arrang- could [sing] solfège with all the syllables ing, you check it out on the piano. So fast on things—not to impress you, but all of a sudden, after years of doing that, he would go through and try to find a and you sing [your idea] I realized I could play the piano. Now way to help you. This might actually have I could play something on the piano; been around the same time as Phil, that if you transcribed it and gave me the Mike and I would do some stuff—and into it and come home music, it might be difficult for me to play [Luis] would help us find the other world it, you know counterpoint and stuff, but in those notes. Because as I work with I can just improvise. I learned a couple of kids, and I pick up a piece of paper—you and work on it. things, so piano has always been some- know music paper, something written on it or a score—and I say, what is this? “Oh,
24 American Recorder that’s the music we’re going to play.” I your hands differently. And like I said, it So that would be fascinating, I would say, “No, this is a guide to playing mu- creates those difference tones, and it’s love [to write for recorder orchestra]. sic.” very close to you. It’s like a tin whistle. Yeah, that’d be cool, I could use some And it’s funny, there’s still a little part There’s magic in the recorder. I projects. of me that doesn’t even want to under- remember the first time I wrote for stand that, but I understand it way, way an ensemble of recorders. It almost FF: Yeah, in all your spare time, right? more than I ever did, that it is a guide. sounds like—and I mean this in the best What, if any, genre or idiom do you think A person had an idea about music and sense—like a calliope or something, recorder is especially suitable for? Is there a how to group things together, but it’s not the way they intermingle. I think it’s particular type of jazz or a mood that you the end all and be all. You have to make beautiful. think is most suitable for recorder? music out of it. To me the most important part of any- AB: I think you could probably play it And so I always say, what came first, thing—whether it’s playing, composing, anywhere. [Recorder could work for] any music or paper? So that’s really the kind arranging—is that it’s a voice, not just a genre or idiom, depends on how you use of inspiration I had—in trombone, and mechanical way of putting sounds to- it. I understand there’s a cat in Philly— Phil as recorder teacher, Luis showing me gether that sounds nice, that it’s do you know who it is? I don’t know his ways sitting in his chamber music expressing something. That’s why I name; they call him like “The John classes. You realize over and over again, listen to a lot of classical music; I love Coltrane” of the recorder. Do you know … [the notes are] a guide, and if you things like Mahler and Beethoven and this dude? [Joel Levine, formerly of don’t make music with it, they’re not Janá^c ek, I love Janá^c ek. Did he Philadelphia, PA, then Boston, MA, and worth anything. ever write anything for recorder, I won- now in Toronto, ON; he and Pete Rose der? I never thought about that. But I just jointly wrote the article, “The Recorder love these people that are passionate Player’s Introduction to Jazz,” in the May ... [the notes are] a guide, about the music. 1995 AR]. And that he plays the hell outta’ bebop on it and stuff? I mean, and if you don’t make FF: Would you consider writing something that’s gotta be wild. I don’t claim to be for recorder orchestra? anywhere near that, I know what I do. AB: That would be fun to write for … I hear the guy’s scary on [jazz recorder]. music with it, they’re it’s just such an amazing instrument; it’s such a pure vibration. I remember when FF: Have you had any special experiences not worth anything. I started playing those Telemann duets with recorder in your work? [hums the opening of the Dolce move- AB: For instance with Ellington, I had ment of the duo Sonata I, Op. 2, in F just joined the band, and I had started FF: I think that maybe early music and jazz major] I remember one passage [hums meditating, so I wasn’t hanging out at the are similar in that way; that notation is just the B major passage with descending bar and I wasn’t doing [clears throat] var- a general guide and improvisation can be and ascending thirds from the last 13 ious other things. I thought, “I’ll take my really important. bars of the Affetuoso movement of the recorder and practice backstage on the AB: Oh, some of that early stuff duo Sonata IV, Op. 2, in G minor] where breaks.” [pre-Baroque] is really wild…. If I had those difference tones would come up. It And he [Ellington] must have heard lifetimes, I’d get really, really in-depth would create this whole other line, like me, ’cause the valet, this guy Jim Lowe, with all my interests, there’s just a lot of three parts—and you wonder if Tele- came knocking on the door and said, them. mann even understood how these things “Hey, The Old Man wants to see you and would happen. bring that little toy flute.” So I brought it FF: In what special way does recorder serve in and demonstrated its range. your “musical voice?” How is it distinctive FF: I’m completely convinced that Telemann Now the last few years of his life, he from the other musical voices you use? and Bach knew the sound that they were [Ellington] had some flutes [in his band], AB: It opens your ears up. It’s like choral writing for intimately and purposely chose he didn’t use flutes much, whereas Basie voices. I listen to a lot of classical music, that sound, the recorder, for certain situa- did. Like in the ’50s and ’60s maybe, and especially Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” tions. he didn’t go for flutes that much, but he [Symphony No. 6] and some [Czech AB: You know that feeling when you’re really liked the sound of recorder.” He composer Leo^s ] Janá^c ek. Wooden playing a note and someone else is play- said, “I think I’m going to give you one of recorders have a special way of vibrating ing a note, and all of a sudden this other the Lord’s Prayers, I’m going to work on in the way the difference tones are creat- note buzzes through your head and into that.” He said, “Yeah, I’m working on it, ed. It’s “pure sound.” the air—it’s amazing. And only recorders Artie. I’ll have it for ya.” It’s very similar to trombone, even have that ability—I mean other instru- Then finally the day before the con- though you may not think. [With] trom- ments can do that, but there’s something cert, we’re rehearsing, he hands it to me! bone air doesn’t go through keys or pis- about the way it does that on recorder. [Laughs.] The guys in the band were so tons, it’s just a straight shot—same thing Maybe it’s because they’re softer than cool, here you are in Westminster Abbey. with recorder. It’s wood, it’s a very differ- other instruments, but that they can cre- And it’s cold! It was like October 22, ent material of course—but the wood ate a difference tone that’s louder, or as 1973. So you know, every once in a vibrates, and except for bass or great bass loud as they are, so it’s like you can hear while, I’ll [have to] put one part [of the where there’s a key or two, it vibrates in it like a third part. recorder] under my armpit, one under
September 2007 25 the other. Then I’ll stick them in my So you know, Duke had this palette, pockets. And then I’ll have to [get rid of And when I bought the and it’s great ’cause the more I listen the recorder sections] and play some to Duke, [it] just starts to seem like my trombone stuff. great bass recorder hero Tricky Sam Nanton [Harlem trom- We had no idea the order of the show. bonist and band leader, West Indies na- And just when it’s the coldest, he in Berlin, I showed it tive; joined Ellington in 1926, key to [Ellington] said, “You got it man.” to [Duke Ellington] Ellington’s development of “jungle” [“evil” chuckle] And the guys in the music; notable for his idiosyncratic use band, they were really impressed; they and played it for him. of plunger mute to create a wide variety said, “Wow, man, that’s cool, recool, of sounds]—I play plunger style like him recorder.” The next day when they were And I think, if he lived, where he put a little straight mute in, on a plane to Sweden, Duke Ellington played on top of it. When you realize his told [me], “Sen-sational!” That’s gotta’ he might have done range—useable range with that mute in be the top.… there, I mean it’s a little bigger than he FF: What was Duke Ellington after? something with that. played, but he liked going too low—it’s AB: There’s just different voices. You probably an octave and a second, an notice there’s the soloists, there’s the He loved it. octave and a third. choir, there’s the band, and the soloists And man, Duke used that in the in the band. FF: Do you think he was after that pastoral palette; man, he just created all these dif- But I think he just liked the idea. It quality, the woody quality recorder has? ferent sounds. He painted with the musi- was The Old Man’s magic that made it AB: Well yeah, that, and also the purity of cians, so here was another voice. work. If you know the history of Elling- it—because he called himself “God’s And when I bought the great bass ton, for him it wasn’t just second trum- Messenger Boy”—and especially when recorder in Berlin, I showed it to him and pet, third alto; it was a color on his he started doing the Sacred Concerts. The played it for him. And I think, if he lived, palette, and here was another color. And first [Sacred] concert he did was in this he might have done something with that. it was like, “Oh, I can use this color to do area [Bay Area] at Grace Cathedral [in He loved it. Yeah, I took it out at the air- something.” And you know, it was like, a San Francisco] in the mid-’60s. As a port, I had it with me. [The Duke said,] whole other [sound]. It was a little piece, matter of fact, they just put out a record- “Artie, whatchya’ got there?” The Lord’s Prayer, Our Father [Who] Art in ing of that, I found it, I couldn’t believe I Heaven, but it was cool! You know, he had found it! Of that particular concert— FF: Oh, what a shame…oh, that would a good idea. yeah, yeah, I found it! have been so great! AB: I know, who knows what he would have done with that? He would have done something. It’s all about that palette…. He was like a little kid, and you know, childlike: “What is that?” And I took it out [the great bass recorder] and he said, “Wow, what’s the range of that?” And you know I could see the wheels going. That was like, November, and he passed in—oh, the following May [1974]. His health was declining. But I was so glad he did that one recorder piece.
FF: You’re such a lucky person to have had such a fabulous experience. AB: Lucky me, yeah I’m lucky. I’ve been in some wonderful situations!
FF: What characteristics of the recorder lend it to successful expression in pop/jazz? AB: Different parts of your personality come out. I find when I improvise on a recorder, there’s a different kind of “linearity” to the things I would impro- vise. On trombone I hear things differ- ently—where it lays on the horn, you know I’m not trying to sound like a saxophone player on the trombone. Whereas on the recorder, I can’t rely
26 American Recorder on ripping through different partials and composer and arranger], and he loved FF: It’s really hard because you have to be in stuff [sings a jazzy fanfare-like tune]; it’s people bringing different instruments, so a very specific place, otherwise the sound just a collection of notes that, by lifting I played some conch shells with him, I doesn’t go into the mike; and you know it’s and putting down fingers—it makes me played the great bass recorder. And he not a problem to be at that place, but it does think differently, which is great. And wrote a cool melody for me to do at one mean you can’t move much when you’re that opened me up to playing all kinds point; but I started the whole thing off playing, and that’s a problem. of ethnic flutes, so it just opened up a with just like an open improvisation [on AB: Yeah, and I’ve recorded on different whole new world to me. recorder]. And there were some micro- recorders … miking recorder is odd, I always love chamber music. It got phones there, but at sound check I tried because I think the sound comes out of me started thinking about composing for it—man, that hall is drop dead gorgeous! so many different places, especially the recorder again. There is a certain purity And no one else is playing, so I just went great bass. So a lot of the time, we’ll put about it, goin’ back to Duke. I think he out there and played into the hall. two mikes on it, and I’ll say, “So why loved the purity of it. And man, that Küng great bass!... don’t you put one here [gestures up] and FF: A lot of people think recorder is close to I mean I really like the [Paetzold great one here [gestures down], and then just the sound of the human voice. bass]…but there’s something about this mix it, play with it, and put the two tracks AB: Yeah, it’s sweet but not saccharine. Küng, I think it’s different with the together or something; or mix it onto The recorder has a solo voice, like the hu- sound coming out of the little hole in the one track when you do it.” Or mix man voice, and it blends the way no oth- bottom [of the Paetzold], whereas the it onto one track as you do it, if you er instrument can. Küng has a big hole on the bottom. only have one track.
FF: What are the advantages/disadvan- FF: The Küng great bass sound is really FF: How/what do you recommend for tages of using recorder in your work? big, and round…. practicing recorder in jazz/pop context? AB: Well, obviously the orchestration; it AB: That octave key [on the Paetzold AB: Oh, just like I would for any student. doesn’t take much to knock it out so you great bass] is really a trip! “How can I get First of all, you can study methods for can’t hear it. You know. Like I wouldn’t my thumb in there?” [Refers to half- how to improvise, but the bottom line’s want to have three saxes and a recorder, holing, usual thumb technique to get [to] just do things to make your extem- unless maybe a solo sopranino. second octave on recorder.] I don’t know poraneous playing on the instrument that I’ve been in a situation where I’ve like your voice. Like where does that FF: How do you feel about miking a gone up to a mike and played, because I come from? Jazz is eighth notes and recorder? think it would be difficult to even put it phrasing, you can’t write how it sounds. AB: I remember I had this old brownish into a monitor without getting feedback. tenor; and they used to have these pick- ups, Barcus-Berry I think they were called [still available]. I had a few tenors, so I took my cheapest one, and you drill Strings & Early Winds a hole in it, and you put this thing in, R where if you don’t use the mike it’s got a Modern/Baroque Strings Viols Vielles little hole in it and you just put a cap on Küng Moeck Mollenhauer Paetzold Yamaha it. So it works normally and it doesn’t af- E Aesthé Dolmetsch Ehlert K&M fect the sound, or you take the cap off and put the mike on. Wendy Ogle Lu-Mi Ifshin Snow I used to play that. You know this was C Competitive Prices like early ’70s, so there weren’t a lot of ef- Sent on Approval fects yet, but there was a fuzz tone box. I Personalized Service & Advice would put it through there, and because O the recorder is so open, it would feed back; so I’d be playing sort of what you might call “acid” jazz, and I’m on the R wah-wah pedal goin’ [sings funky, fuzzy rhythmic passage]. It was such a great act! I don’t even know where I have that D ax [instrument] anymore. That was really fun…. I mean, totally obliterated the natural wood sound of it, E but it really had a great sound… I would like to have a band where I could do that again! R I haven’t played into a mike much. Do Lazar’s Early Music you know that opera house in Leipzig? ... (866) 511-2981 [email protected] I was out there with this big band, with S www.LazarsEarlyMusic.com this guy from Switzerland, George 292 Gibraltar Dr., #108, Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Gruntz [well-known jazz keyboardist,
September 2007 27 Listen to jazz [greats]: Louis Arm- So afterwards, the woman who runs say, “This is how I learned when I was strong, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and the store came up to me, and says “I play a kid.” get the feeling in your whole body. The piano.” And I go, “What are you doing Improvisation isn’t any different than beat keeps going, but the player has to right now?” And she goes, “I’m sorry, I learning anything else, except there’s this play behind the beat without losing the play classical.” And I said, “Don’t be sor- huge amount of pressure that the written forward motion. ry, I love classical music,” and we started music is God. It isn’t; it’s a guide, not The feeling is the most important talking about Beethoven [piano] sonatas. God. But it’s also an anchor. thing. Play jazz etudes, play along with I recently saw this fabulous master [At another master class he attended records, play written music in a jazz style. class [on PBS] by Daniel Barenboim … in France], they would have these great Recorder is so ornery with chromat- [the students] were really “hellified” pieces of music—Mozart or something; ics—and God! those cross-fingerings on [great] players! And Barenboim correct- and every other page was ripped out or the recorder. Do something simple, learn ed the players in such a beautiful way covered over, and it was just “improvise how to play it on the recorder, and then of not making them wrong, just expand- something when the paper stops.” What pick at least three other keys… get to the ing them. He [Barenboim] just exudes a great idea; there are so many great ideas point where it’s like whistling [whistles a this. I feel the same way about [teaching] [for teaching improvisation], it’s like few notes], so it starts becoming like a improvisation: never make anybody games. voice. And then figure out what kind of wrong, and if you don’t know how to We had a trio, and we made up all language do you want to learn: do you do it, it’s because you never learned how sorts of exercises. One person would play want to be a bebopper, do you want to be to do it yet….I find it’s just such a human something, and the next person, as straight ahead, play swing? It doesn’t condition we have where we’re afraid quickly as you can, you find that note. matter what you want to be, but you got we’re not going to look good if it’s some- Just realize that if you don’t hit it, if it’s to find a way to have the instrument thing we don’t know how to do yet…. too low, then you bring it up. Then you sound when you hear something in your I would advise any recorder player: make a little improvisation. It could be head … “in a manner born.” just make up a little two-bar song. If you more than three people. I just did a workshop at this little have a recording machine, great—record It’s a lot about listening. Any kind of school connected to a music store in the it; if not, just sing it. Realize you’re not musical performance is about listening. next town over [Oakland] … I do every- going to sound as good as when you have This great teacher of mine named thing from visualization to breathing a piece of music in front of your face.… Carmine Caruso, from the East coast— exercises just to get your voice out. Your But the great thing is, when you start he was a sax player, but he taught a lot of real voice, your given voice, and then giving yourself permission to [really brass [players]. He taught ways of getting your [voice on your] horn. sound bad], that it’s OK, because you your mind out of the operation of learn- ing how to play music, letting your mind be the map that serves you. He said, “Playing music is like riding on a horse, having a rifle in your hand, and trying to shoot a bird at the same time.” All these things are going on. So now you’re adding another thing: “Now I want you to make up the music too!” Hiiiii-eeee! Half of the work I do when I’m working with new improvisers is to calm ’em down and let ’em know it’s OK to be “half a stumble”…. This could be interesting: as well as you play written music, continue with that; but let yourself have permission, try something, just do it by yourself or get together with a friend. There are all kinds of wonderful improvisation games you can do. One person makes some- thing up, the other person plays the subservient role, and then they trade…. You got these notes on the recorder, you got a little over two octaves of notes….You can just randomly pick notes, that’s another cool exercise. Pick a time—10 minutes, 20 minutes—just play random quarter notes. Open your ears wide. And try not to do patterns. Just [play] randomly to open your mind up. What could happen?
28 American Recorder I feel the same way about [teaching improvisation]: never make anybody wrong, and if you don’t know how to do it, it’s because you never learned how to do it yet....
For me it’s a lot of fun teaching im- provisation because I firmly believe, first of all, there’s not a person on this planet that doesn’t have music in ’em…. It’s an old, old paradigm, it needs to shift. It’s like anything in life. “Oh you can’t do that.” Or, “Our family is no good at finances.” So you go through life: “Well, I’m not good at finances.” Well, why? These games, it’s all about opening yourself up to some of the possibili- ties…. There’s all this room for growth. I had this kid in my class today whose first name happened to be Baron. He was like a tenth grader. He said, “There’s no limit to how open you can be.”….It’s all FF: If you were stranded on a desert island, NOTE: In the copy of The Lord’s Prayer, about an inner voice. Anybody who plays music, they have an inner voice that’s what three recordings would you like to have the second note was originally a G , but the driving them to go to it. And music is along? first time Art played it as written out by AB: Duke Ellington’s Shakespeare Suite; Duke Ellington, he misread the note and expression, in a world where it’s hard to find places to express. So I offer the idea James Taylor, Hourglass; and thought it was a G . Duke Ellington never of improvisation on the recorder just like Janá^cek’s, Glagolitic Mass; and/or said anything about it. Art felt that if he [Gabriel] Faure’s Requiem. hadn’t liked it he would have made him any other instrument…. Plus, since the recorder’s such a great change it back, so the G stayed. companion, go sit out on a beautiful hill, watch the sunset, pick your recorder up, do it by yourself, and play just a few notes. You know what wants to come out. If you’re trying to remember a recorder piece, see if you can leave it alone for a minute just to see what notes come out. The thing that’s so wild is that music Early Music America Magazine is the quarterly came here a lot earlier than paper did…. publication for the Early Music Community in I love to improvise on the recorder…. North America: Professionals, Students, and I’m not great in terms of playing jazz— Audience members. I mean, I could play some from my back- ground, but I don’t have the facility like Articles on performance practice, trends in the I do on trombone. But I play and I feel field, recording reviews, and a new book reviews comfortable about what I do without department. practicing hours a day to get much better…as long as you’re expressing it Call 888-722-5288 or email [email protected] doesn’t matter what you do, to what for a FREE sample issue. level.
September 2007 29 OPENING MEASURES ______Keeping your passion for playing the recorder alive
e all love to play our instrument, but days, you might want to choose not to If you have a demanding job that Wwithout direction any one of us can practice on Tuesdays. requires overtime and taking work find it difficult to keep practicing. Along with choosing your days of the home, or if you work and have children Although we have a love of music and week, you can also choose your estimated at home, your practice week might look of playing the recorder, this love needs length of session on each of those days. something like this: to be fostered, cultivated and fed in Choose realistic session lengths. You Monday – off; Tuesday – 15 minutes; order to stay alive and healthy. are much more likely to stick with your Wednesday – 15; Thursday – 30; Friday – Many things contribute to continued practice routine if you estimate shorter off; Saturday – 60; Sunday – 60. growth and joy in music-making. Here are periods, which you may often find your- All of these schedules will lead to im- some of them to keep your passion alive self exceeding, than to set up long provements in your playing—even the and strong: sessions—only to find yourself losing one with short sessions, if you practice · create practice routines to foster steam and putting your instrument away attentively and thoughtfully. progress before the allotted time is up. This will It is far better to have several short prac- · vary routines to keep yourself fresh lead to a sense of failure. tice sessions during a week than to have · make goals just one long one. Even if you can only · measure progress practice five minutes a day, seven days a · explore new directions You are much more likely week, you will make progress in your play- · find musical outlets ing, and a sense of progress is a major fac- · remove obstacles that reduce musical to stick with your practice tor in keeping one’s passion alive. success or satisfaction routine if you estimate Stagnation leads to inertia, which leads · vary playing situations and partners to waking up one day to discover that you · enjoy the view as you run past (notice shorter periods, which you have not played your recorder for a month, and enjoy your day-to-day playing). or a year…. may often find yourself My sister, a ’cellist, said during a very Creating Practice Routines exceeding, than to busy period in her life, “My goal is to touch In this column, I’ll focus on only a couple the ’cello every day, even if I have only time of strategies above. Making a practice set up long sessions— to play one note.” You need to maintain routine is important because it keeps you the sense that you are a musician; playing practicing on a regular basis—which in only to find yourself your instrument frequently gives that turn leads to observable improvements sense. in your playing, and that is very satisfying. losing steam and putting The next step in developing your rou- A practice routine enables you to jump your instrument away tine is to decide how you want to spend into your practice session without having your practice time. My favorite routine is to make new decisions about what to play before the allotted time to divide any practice session into three and how to approach each session. parts: technique, work on specific pieces Establishing a routine sets up an is up. This will lead of music, and sight-reading/playing just expectation that you will practice. You for fun. These parts vary in relative size have a date with yourself, and knowing to a sense of failure. depending on what I am working toward that can take precedence over lying at any given time. around watching TV. If you have a Monday–Friday, If you really need improvement on You can make a fresh practice schedule 9:00–5:00 job your practice week might technique, you should use perhaps half at the beginning of the week, or you can look something like this: of your total time for that, dividing the stick with the same basic plan over time. Monday – off; Tuesday – 45 minutes; remaining time between pieces and Just remember to vary the elements so that Wednesday – 30; Thursday – 45; Friday – sight-reading. On the other hand if you they do not grow stale and you become off; Saturday – 60 minutes plus recorder hate practicing technique, but know rebellious. group meeting; Sunday – 90. you need to do it, you should take “tech- The first step in making your routine is If you are retired or don’t have a job, nique vitamins”—do very short sessions to decide how many times per week you and have plenty of time and lots of desire of 1–5 minutes each for blowing, fingers want to practice. Of course the ideal num- to play, your practice schedule might look and tonguing. Even one minute of blow- ber is seven, but that is not always realis- like this: ing exercise each day will have a positive tic. You should choose a realistic number Monday - 90 minutes; Tuesday – 120; effect on your playing—much better than of days, and choose specific days of the Wednesday – 120; Thursday – 60; 0 minutes! week depending on your schedule. For in- Friday – 120; Saturday – 120; A couple of examples of this sort of stance, if you have a 15-hour work day Sunday – 90. (Factor in any meetings routine are: every Tuesday, but 10 hours all the other with a recorder group.) 30 American Recorder 1. 60 minutes; a person eager to improve playing abilities As time goes by, · 30 minutes of technique work, consist- ing of 10 minutes of breathing/blowing you can look back exercises, 10 minutes of articulation through your practice exercises, 10 minutes of finger dexterity exercises. books and really get a · 20 minutes working on a sonata · 10 minutes playing anything at all, sense of accomplishment. without having to think about doing anything “right.” make notes while practicing each day 2. 30 minutes; a person without much (for example, keeping track of your practice time who wants to have fun but metronome numbers for speed work), or still make some technical progress make comments about tone work, etc. · 10 minutes of technique, consisting of As time goes by, you can look back 5 minutes of blowing and 5 minutes of through your practice books and really get articulation scales (which is also good a sense of accomplishment. for finger dexterity) You can also make elaborate (or · 15 minutes of playing music assigned simple) progress charts in your practice by recorder teacher book; award yourself gold stars for good · 5 minutes of sight-reading. work; write your thoughts and feelings, 3. 60 minutes; a person who loves frustrations and joys about music; make playing, but is not enthusiastic about lists of good pieces; make lists of your technique work accomplishments; plan concert pro- · 10 minutes of technique consisting of grams; list your favorite recorder players 3 minutes of blowing, 3 minutes of ar- and recordings, and much more. Your ticulation, 4 minutes of finger exercises practice book is your companion through · 40 minutes working on pieces all of your playing. · 10 minutes of sight-reading To set playing goals, think about your This may seem very regimented, but playing. Write down what you like about I think it is a good way to practice. You your playing and what you would like to have periods of disciplined work as well as do better. Pick one item from your list of periods of free playing. Of course, you can things you’d like to do better. Let’s say it is divide your time up in any way you like. to “be able to play faster.” We can break For those of you who hate a schedule, that down into specific areas of recorder I would still suggest that you set out to technique. In order to play fast, you need practice for a set length of time, with a plan free and dexterous finger action, and you for working in three areas. Then you can need quick and agile articulation (tongu- basically follow your plan, but move on ing). Include exercises for these areas in Lost in Time Press to the next thing when you feel like it. your practice routine and keep track of Remember to build variety into your your progress in your book. New works and planning as you go from week to week. The list earlier in this column Change the relative amounts of time you contains several more ideas for keeping arrangements spend on technique/practicing pieces/ your motivation strong. You can come for recorder ensemble free playing. Do different technique exer- up with ways of putting them into cises each week. Make one practice day action. Good luck, and happy playing! Compositions by completely free of restrictions. Devote one Frances Blaker session to trying new pieces, exploring Frances Blaker repertoire, and so on. SWEETHEART Paul Ashford Goals and Tracking Progress FLUTE CO. Hendrik de Regt Setting goals and working towards them Baroque Flutes: our own and others are strong motivators. Keeping track of “Sweetheart” model progress will make this process even more Fifes, Flageolettes Inquiries: effective. Many athletes keep training logs “Irish” Flutes & Whistles. Send for brochure and/or to track progress and keep up motivation. antique flute list. Corlu Collier They set goals and make notes about their PMB 309 health. It is no different for musicians. 32 South Maple Street Get yourself a nice practice book— Enfield, CT 06082 2226 N Coast Hwy a notebook with fine paper, a colorful (860) 749-4494 Newport, Oregon 97365 [email protected] cover, whatever appeals to you. You can www.sweetheartflute.com [email protected] write down your various goals there and
September 2007 31 COMPACT DISC REVIEWS ______Gardens of Delights JACOB VAN EYCK, DER FLUYTEN vided by Ruth van Baak Griffioen, and like- Substantial information on Van Eyck LUST-HOF (THE FLUTE’S GARDEN wise contribute very helpful information. and this music is available in print and OF DELIGHTS): SELECTED WORKS, I recall my exposure to the hypervirtu- online. Of particular value is Dutch ERIK BOSGRAAF, RECORDERS; IZHAR ELIAS, osic literature for violin from the 19th cen- musicologist Thiemo Wind’s web site, BAROQUE GUITAR; INMACULADA MUÑOZ tury while I was an undergraduate music
32 American Recorder studied recorder with Walter van Hauwe conflates Engels Nachtegaeltje with Den tions bear internal titles. Verbruggen an- and Paul Leenhouts. He holds an M.A. in Nachtegael, keeping the form of the for- nounces these vigorously, while the other musicology, and performs and teaches in- mer. He ornaments the repeats substan- two do not speak. Her playing is the most ternationally. With guitarist Izhar Elias he tially. All three perform the bird song with restrained of the three. plays both early repertory and new works an edge of extended technique. Bosgraaf presses the piece with a very for recorder and guitar, often including The Fantasia & Echo demands rapid rapid tempo, and in perfect Van Eyck style, electronics and film. More information fingering/tonguing technique and ability ornaments the repeat of the Wilhelmus about him, with audio samples, is found at to differentiate loud and soft phrases section. His anticipatory low grace notes
September 2007 33 A set of 17 of Laurin’s recordings of Van Vellekoop Edition: lively and scholarly, Fluyten Lust-hof pieces on these CDs: Eyck is also available as a single CD on BIS and a bargain for a 3-CD set. The double Want to compare recorded performances (Evergreens from the Pleasure Garden). CD reissue of Marion Verbruggen’s record- of a particular Van Eyck piece? This table From a consumer’s standpoint, which ings sounds terrific and is a thoroughly shows you the pieces found that are com- Van Eyck recording do I recommend? musical approach, also at a bargain price. mon to these three multi-CD sets (bold For the completist collector and for music I think any recorder player would do indicates common to all three) libraries, the full set by Laurin certainly is well to have both Bosgraaf’s and Ver- B=Erik Bosgraaf, 65 pieces recorded Oc- the one to acquire. It is a magnificent work bruggen’s sets in their collections. If you tober/December 2006, Mariënhaven and an excellent reference source for play- enjoy using mp3 files for your music col- Chapel, Warmond, The Netherlands ers seeking a musicianly take on the lections, I urge you to also investigate that [New Vellekoop Edition, 1988-1990]. pieces, plus it serves as a guide for tempo option for some of these pieces. L=Dan Laurin, 143 pieces recorded and other interpretive aspects. Tom Bickley 1996-1999, Länna Church, Sweden Bosgraaf’s set covers a very significant [1649 edition]. portion of the collection and is an excel- V=Marion Verbruggen, 49 pieces record- lent documentation of Wind’s New ed April 1995, Skywalker Sound, CA.
34 American Recorder 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). All CDs are $15 ARS members/$17 Others unless marked otherwise. Two-CD sets are $24 ARS members/$28 Others. Add Shipping and Handling: $2 for one CD, $1 for each additional CD. An updated listing of all available CDs may be found at the ARS web site:
____MANCINI: CONCERTI DI CAMERA home NEW! in the ____EAST OF THE RIVER Daphna Mor, Nina Judith Linsenberg, recorders, with Musica Pacifica. world of Stern, recorders; Omer Avital, bass & oud; Uri Seven sonatas by Francesco Mancini, plus one Baroque Sarlin, accordion; Tomer Tzur, percussion. An album work each from his contemporaries Francesco music.” Buxtehude of haunting melodies and exhilarating rhythms from Durante & Domenico Scarlatti. "Highly recom- Op. 1, plus works by Biber, Rosenmuller, Krieger Armenia and the Balkans by New York-based mended" citation from the 2000 Vivaldi Prize for and JM (yes, M) Bach. Fafarela Recordings recorder virtuosi. East of the River Music. Recordings of Italian Early Music--Giorgio Cini Foundation. Dorian. ____TASTE OF PORTIQUE L'Ensemble Portique. ____ARCANGELO CORELLI: CONCERTI Features a selection of early and contemporary ____MUSICK FYNE PLAYS MUSIC OF THE GROSSI OPUS 6 American Bach Soloists, Jeffrey chamber music, recorded and performed by ITALIAN BAROQUE Alison Melville & Colin Thomas, conductor; Dan Laurin, Hanneke van L'Ensemble Portique in its inaugural 2002-2003 Savage, recorders; with other members of Musick Proosdij, recorders; Elizabeth Wallfisch, Katherine season. Bach, Telemann Boismortier and others. Fyne (voice, harpsichord, lute/theorbo) & W. M. Kyme, violins; Tanya Tomkins, violoncello; Michael TELEMANN CHAMBER CANTATAS Gay, ’cello. 17th & 18th century duos, trio sonatas, ____ Sponseller, harpsichord. Premiere recording of tran- Musica Pacifica Five cantatas from Harmonischer arias, diminutions. EBS Records. scriptions for recorder, includes "Christmas Gottesdienst, plus two sonatas from Sonatas Concerto" featuring unique 1725 London version ____MY THING IS MY OWN: BAWDY MUSIC OF THOMAS D URFEY Tina Chancey, Grant Herreid & Corellisantes. 2003 Chamber Music with solos transcr. for two recorders, instead of two America/WQXR Record Award for best chamber solo violins, in three of the six concertos. Delos. Scott Reiss, recorders & other early instruments; Rosa Lamoreaux, soprano. Improvisations on tunes music recordings of the year. ____ARCANGELO CORELLI: CONCERTI ____TELEMANN: DUOS POUR FLUTES, GROSSI OPUS 6 John Daniels, Sonja Lindblad, of love, sex & seduction in 18th-century England. ____NOT MUCH IS WORSE THAN A TROLL Ensemble Caprice. Matthias Maute & Sophie recorders; Peter Sykes, harpsichord. Trio sonata Larivière, recorders & transverse flute, Alexander arrangement by Johann Christian Schickhardt. Ensemble Polaris: Alison Melville, recorders, Baroque flute,seljefløyte; Colin Savage, clarinet, Weimann, clavichord. Six Telemann duos & sonatas bass clarinet, recorders; Kirk Elliot, violin, harp, alternate with five fantasies for clavichord by Maute. IN STOCK (Partial listing) ____TRIO ATLANTICA Lisette Kielson, recorders. ____BAROQUE MUSIC FROM SCOTLAND & bowed psaltery, accordion,single drone bagpipe, mandolin, melodica; Margaret Gay, ’cello; Ben Works by Bach, Telemann, Montéclair, Leclair. ENGLAND Alison Melville & Colin Savage, ____20TH CENTURY MUSIC FOR RECORDER recorders; with other members of Musick Fyne. Grossman, hurdy gurdy; Terry McKenna, classical & steel-string guitar; Debashis Sinha, percussion. & PIANO Anita Randolfi, recorders; Marcia Eckert, Music by Purcell & Oswald, & arrangements from piano; Douglas Lima, piano; Mary Barto, flute. The Beggar's Opera by Pepusch. EBS. The group’s second CD uses a wide variety of arrangements and instruments—from squeaky Original music from the first decade of the 20th ____DISTRIBUTION OF FLOWERS Cléa century through the 1960s composed for recorder Galhano, recorder; Tony Hauser, guitar. Latin CD toys to palimpsests, duo to full ensemble. This CD will surprise and delight old and new fans alike. and piano. Works by Jacob, Bartok, Leigh, others. featuring works by Argentinian accordion virtuoso ____VIVALDI: THE FOUR SEASONS Red Priest: Astor Piazzolla, The History of Tango, & Brazilian ____PARTY OF FIVE: A FEAST OF VIVALDI AND TELEMANN Blue Baroque Band: Cléa Piers Adams, recorders; Julia Bishop, violin; composers including Villa Lobos, Pixinguinha, Angela East, ’cello; Howard Beach, harpsichord. Hermeto Paschoal, Waldir Azevedo. Ten Galhano, recorder; Daria Adams, violin; Kathryn Greenbank, oboe; Layton James, harpsichord; Also A. Corelli's Christmas Concerto in G minor, Thousand Lakes. Op. 6, No 8. "If you think you know the Seasons, if ____DOLCE MUSICA: A CONTEMPLATIVE Charles Ullery, bassoon. Blue Baroque Band has a unique sound, with the old sounds of recorder you've heard it (or played it) far too often to ever JOURNEY Eileen Hadidian, flutes & recorders; want to hear it again–go straight out and buy this Natalie Cox, harps. Celtic, Renaissance & and harpsichord juxtaposed with modern oboe, bassoon and violin.Telemann: Concerto in A minor, recording.—EARLY MUSIC TODAY. Red Priest Medieval melodies for recorder & flute with Celtic Label 2005 Re-release of 2003 Dorian recording. harp. Healing Muses. TWV43:a3 & Trio Sonata in A minor, TWV 42:a4. Vivaldi: Concerto in D Major, RV94; Concerto in G ____VIVALDI: LA NOTTE Concerti per strumenti ____DREAMS INSIDE THE AIR TUNNEL diversi. Judith Linsenberg, recorder; Musica Zana Clarke, recorder & composer. “Drawing on the Minor, RV107; Concerto in G Minor, RV103. ____RENOVATA BY ERWILIAN Jordan Buetow, Pacifica. Award-winning CD, featuring five Vivaldi music of the didjeridu & shakuhachi...beautiful & concerti, two sonatas. hypnotic...”—American Recorder. Orpheus Music. recorders et al. Recorder–Garklein to Bass–leads ensemble of exotic stringed instruments on a ____VON PARIS NACH WIEN Duo Caprice ____THE FOOD OF LOVE HESPERUS Early Stuttgart. Matthias Maute, recorder & Michael instrumental music of the British Isles, with works journey through both energetic and expressive melodies. Purely organic, acoustic experience, a Spengler, gamba. Works from Paris to Vienna by by Byrd, Gibbons & Simpson through Dowland, Rameau, Satie, Maute, J. Haydn, Chopin, others. Playford & Coperario. sonic blend of traditional melodies with distinctly ____GATHERING: HUI; folk melodies from China modern influences. Wood, Wind & Wire. ____SACRED AND SECULAR MUSIC FROM Please indicate above the CDs you wish to and 17th-century Europe, with crossover collabora- order, and print clearly the following: tions among Cléa Galhano, recorder, Belladonna RENAISSANCE GERMANY Ciaramella–Adam & Rotem Gilbert, Doug Millikan, Debra Nagy, Name ______Baroque Quartet, and guest Gao Hong, Chinese Daytime phone: (_____)______pipa. Ten Thousand Lakes. recorders, with other winds, shawm, sackbut & organ. Medieval & Renaissance sacred music Address:______HANDEL: THE ITALIAN YEARS Elissa City/State/Zip: ______Berardi, recorder & Baroque flute; Philomel Baroque combined with reconstructions of folksongs & arrangements based on contemporary Check enclosed for Orchestra. Nel dolce dell’oblio & Tra le fiamme, two _____ single CDs x $____ = $______important pieces for obbligato recorder & soprano; improvisation. ____SENFL (LUDWIG) Farallon Recorder Quartet _____ 2-CD sets x $____ = $______Telemann, Trio in F; Vivaldi, All’ombra di sospetto. TOTAL $______I LOVE LUCETTE Hesperus: Scott Reiss, (Letitia Berlin, Frances Blaker, Louise Carslake, Hanneke van Proosdij). 23 lieder, motets and instru- Please charge the above amount to my Tina Chancey, Jane Hershey, recorders & other MasterCard, Visa or AmEx: early instruments; Rosa Lamoreaux, soprano; mental works of the German Renaissance. ____STOLEN JEWELS Ensemble Vermillian: #______Howard Bass, lute. Charming, bawdy,sentimental Exp. Date: ______music from French Renaissance theatrical tradi- Frances Blaker, recorders; Barbara Blaker Krumdieck, Baroque ’cello; Elisabeth Reed, viola Cardholder’s signature: ______tion. Divisions on Contente Desir, Il Fault Bien Mail to: Aimer; good recorder trio work. Koch Int'l. da gamba; Katherine Heater, harpsichord & organ. ARS, 1129 Ruth Dr., St. Louis, MO 63122-1019 U.S. ____LES SEPT SAUTS: Baroque Chamber Music Performances of 17th-century German music You may fax a credit card order to 314-966-4649. at the Stuttgart Court. Matthias Maute & Sophie adapted by Frances Blaker. "I love violin music but NEW! You may now order CDs online using PayPal Larivière, recorders & traverso; Ensemble Caprice. cannot play the violin," she writes "so I steal the at
36 American Recorder CHAPTERS & CONSORTS ______Groups play Deep Blue Sea, ______other Play-the-Recorder Month Reports s Play-the-Recorder Month (PtRM) Seibert (holding poster in A was celebrated in March, as always, photo at right) also led individuals and chapters all over the them in other music, in- world commemorated it in a variety of cluding two movements interesting ways. Many of these people from Handel’s Water and groups submitted contest forms Music arranged by Seib- detailing what they had done. The sub- ert for soprano through missions are judged each year by the contra bass recorders. Chapters & Consorts Committee. Their audience com- In the past, many groups have given prised the crew and pas- different kinds of events throughout the sengers of the ferry on month for great varieties of listeners, but its roundtrip excursion. this year a different phenomenon arose. They had appreciative Few who submitted an entry for the 2007 audiences on both legs contest actually reported doing much of the trip, and one crew throughout the month as a whole, but member even thanked everyone offered a report of their activities them for their music as for Recorder Day! on March 24. they docked. Awards were given for the best celebra- Although they tion of PtRM, the most imaginative event reported that the sea and for the largest percentage increase in (Puget Sound) was deep, chapter membership. Prizes were donated it was anything but blue primarily by ARS Business Members or AR (photo at top right)! advertisers, showing their continued Participants wore nauti- support for our goals. cal costumes and had a The number one winner, the Kalama- grand time. Their prize zoo Recorder Players (KRP), celebrated was a gift certificate from Honeysuckle Magnamusic Distributors, Inc., of by having a “Play-In” on Recorder Day! It Music in St. Paul, MN. Sharon, CT. For the creativity and effort was held at the Kalamazoo Institute of The brand new Utah Recorder Soci- they expended, they received a soprano Arts, in front of a wall-sized painting enti- ety (URS) actually won two awards: third and an alto recorder from Courtly Music tled “Code Blue,” where they played Peter prize for their participation, and one for Unlimited in Warrensburg, NY. Seibert’s specially-composed piece Deep the most creative event. Nine URS mem- Blue Sea as well as simpler pieces. bers and two guests took part in Recorder KRP members were also featured on an Day! by doing a variety of things in five hour-long live radio program prior to the hours that recorder players love to do: they event, where history and use of the enjoyed the sociability of playing together recorder were discussed and demonstrat- and performing for others, shared a meal, ed with recorder music of several well- took part in the world-wide playing of known players, including a CD made at a Deep Blue Sea, danced to (and played in a Honeysuckle Music prior KRP concert. This afforded an op- dance band for) English country dances, portunity to spread the word about heard Renaissance instruments that were recorder playing to a large audience. Their new to many present, and told each other Recorders & accessories prize was a gift certificate from Von Huene about how they came to play the recorder. ... Workshop/Early Music Workshop of Most impressive of all—and deserving Music for recorders & viols New England in Brookline, MA. of accolades—the average number of Coming in a close second was the miles driven in order to attend the event Jean Allison Olson Seattle (WA) Recorder Society. They was 63. Next time any of us has to travel 1604 Portland Ave. celebrated aboard a ferry on an hour-long across town for a meeting, or even to a St. Paul, MN 55104 trip from Seattle, with some family and nearby suburb, remember the URS! 651.644.8545 friends. Their conductor was none other For their participation, the URS chap- [email protected] than the composer of the Deep Blue Sea. ter library received a box of music from
September 2007 37 ship increases of 16.67%. Northwinds Cleveland chapter members, one also a Recorder Society (MI) and Orange gambist, playing music spanning six cen- County (CA) Chapter each received two turies, such as Praetorius dances, selec- half-plastic/half-wood Dream sopranos tions from Handel’s Water Music, a Scott donated by Mollenhauer Handmade Joplin rag, two jazzy pieces by Andrew Recorders in Fulda, Germany. Charlton, a trio sonata by Marin Marais, A number of other groups and indi- and Edward MacDowell’s To a Wild Rose. viduals reported activities to the ARS. For Of course, they also played the official ARS the energy and time that they put into piece by Seibert, Deep Blue Sea, at 3 p.m. planning and executing these events, we Their second event was a one-day salute them. workshop directed by Eric Haas for 26 Sandra Parker of Claremont, CA, in her role as direc- tor of the Clare- The Twin Cities Recorder Guild mont Communi- (TCRG) also had nine members partici- ty School of pating, with two junior high students Music, had her 27 among them, on Recorder Day! Members students ranging brainstormed locations and plans, and in age from 6 spun off their idea of Deep Blue “C”— to 80+ participate playing at the Marjorie McNeely Conser- in six events dur- vatory in Como Park located in St. Paul, ing March. She did MN (photo above). There had been late an excellent job winter snows, but that day was in the 70s of promoting the and everyone was out. TCRG members recorder and played a 30-minute program twice, with received special recognition: four participants from Ohio and Pennsylvania. Deep Blue Sea at the appointed time. The Dream sopranos from Mollenhauer. The title of the workshop was “Guido’s announcement that the piece was being If there were a prize for individual for- Solami: An exploration and celebration of played all around the world at that eign performances, Dietrich Schnabel, music based on the hexachord.” moment was met with great applause. an ARS member who lives in Gudensberg, The Long Beach (CA) Recorder Con- Following the TCRG appearance, the Germany, would receive that award. He is sort, although not affiliated with ARS, re- Conservatory later added other musical a member of the Dortmund Recorder ceived a copy of Deep Blue Sea from a groups and reported that they all had Consort, which happened to have a friend as well as the announcement of met with great favor by the people rehearsal on March 24—so he had them Recorder Day! Realizing that recorder moving around to see all of the flowers. play Deep Blue Sea in an 8' pitch version players all over the world would be joining Lazar’s Early Music in Sunnyvale, CA, (photo above right). The recording he sent them, they decided it would be fun to take donated a gift certificate as their prize. of it was wonderfully deep! It was good to part. They met in a Long Beach park on a For the largest percentage increase in see that awareness of the ARS was also cold, windy day, using clothespins to hold chapter membership, the prize of a gift promoted as well as the worldwide music on their stands–but nothing damp- certificate from Performers Music in connection of recorder players. ened their spirits. They enjoyed playing Chicago, IL, was awarded to Big Island Two separate events were offered by the song for nearby birthday partygoers Recorder Society (HI) with an impressive the Greater Cleveland (OH) Chapter gain of 33.33%,. in March. On Recorder Day! a concert at Two other chapters tied for member- the Beachwood Library included eight The ARS Board happened to be meeting in Worcester, MA, on Recorder Day! and paused Courtly Music during its busy schedule to play Deep Blue Sea at the appointed time: (l to r) Mary Halverson Waldo, Ann Stickney, Alan Karass, administrative director Kathy Sherrick, Unlimited Bonnie Kelly, Lisette Kielson, Leslie Timmons, Mark Davenport and Tish Berlin. 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 and reported feeling sunny on the inside humanities course taught by chapter from taking part in the event (photo above)! member Paul Gagne of North American Two Tucson (AZ) Recorder Society University. Five performers played Me- subgroups played a total of 12 concerts in dieval, Renaissance and Baroque music. March to about 1,700 students in OMA Recorder Day! featured a concert by 11 schools. ”Opening Minds Through the members of the Albuquerque Recorder Arts,” OMA is a program using instru- Orchestra in the Main Library auditori- mental music, opera, dance, theater and um. Sponsored by the Albuquerque/ visual arts to help teach reading, writing, Bernalillo County Library, Bernalillo math and science to K-8th-grade students. County, and the Albuquerque Mayor’s Last, but certainly not least, were activ- Office, the hour-long concert entitled ities of recorder players in Albuquerque, “Music: Old and New” included music NM. PtRM was observed with a demon- from the Renaissance as well as contem- stration by Entre Nous Consort at a porary America. Audience members ex- Send News Now! pressed interest afterward in early music On March 3, the East Bay (CA) Recorder Society If your chapter has ideas that other chap- generally and the recorder specifically. hosted a master class with Judy Linsenberg. Clock- ters can learn from, we want to share As is clear in reading PtRM reports , wise from top: Stevie White (seated) and Kraig them with AR readers. Send short articles recorder players are an inventive bunch. Williams work on a Schickhardt sonata with about specific activities that have It’s time now to put on your own thinking Linsenberg (right) and harpsichordist Katherine increased chapter membership or recog- cap and find interesting things to do for Heater (in profile); Alta Sonora gets tips on playing nition, or just the enjoyment your mem- PtRM 2008. Have fun! Senfl; and Glen Shannon with Linsenberg before he bers get out of being part of your chapter. Marilyn Perlmutter plays C.P.E. Bach’s C minor unaccompanied solo. Tell us what you did, how you organized and implemented it, and what results you CHAPTER NEWS got. Fill in details: how many members Chapter newsletter editors and publicity officers should send materials for publication in are in your chapter? Do you support a American Recorder to: AR, 7770 South High St., Centennial, CO 80122-3122, Junior Recorder Society or have activities
New! Affordable and available now! Rosewood and ABS Kelhorns & Crumhorns Soprano in -c’-, Alto in -g-, Alto in -f-, Tenor in -c-, Bass in -F- and Great-Bass in -C- See and hear them all in detail on our website: www.susato.com Also new: Susato Double Reeds Sounding great and lasting long. Nine is Fine Susato Press Editions for Capped Reeds. 13 Stars Duets, trios and quartets of early American music. Our 53rd Year! Kelischek Workshop for Historical Instruments 199 Waldroup Road, Brasstown, North Carolina 28902 USA
September 2007 39 MUSIC REVIEWS ______Sweet Pipes for teachers, Mieroprint music, ______and folk songs in several settings
SEEDS OF DISCOVERY, BY ROBERT Amchin is professor of music educa- THREE LOW COUNTRIES FOLK- AMCHIN. Sweet Pipes SP2403 tion at the University of Louisville in Ken- SONGS FOR MASSED RECORDERS, (
(1970). My only criticism of these three CC#:______Expiration Date: ______publications is that no texts are includ- ed—they would be a great help with Signature of cardholder:______phrasing, tempos, and even possible sing- alongs. For instance, Thorn describes the Clearly Print Name as it appears on Card:______Renew by Mail, Online, By Phone or by Fax second carol, “Cradle Song,” as “tradi- tional Scottish/ American,” but I have not Demographic Information found it in any of my home resources. The (optional information collected only to enhance ARS services and provide statistics to grant makers): only information given for the piece is the instruction, “Gently Rocking.” I am a member of ARS Chapter or Consort______ I am the Chapter Contact
“Leaping and Dancing,” the third Your age: Under 21 (21-30) (31-40) (41-50) (51-60) 61-70) (71+) carol, is a lively tune in 6/8, probably familiar to some players and listeners. It is Please check all that apply: from Catalonia, known there as “El Noi de I am a Professional Recorder Performer. la Mare” (The Son of the Virgin). (An I wish to be included in the list of Recorder Teachers in the ARS Directory and website. excellent arrangement of this piece for SAT I Teach: (circle your choices) recorders is in Five Catalan Carols, by Children High School Youth College Students Adults Marg Hall, Hawthorns Music RA 140, Beginner Intermediate Advanced Pre-Professional distributed by Magnamusic.) Individuals Children’s Classes Adult Classes Ensembles Suzuki Orff JRS Leader Kodaly KEY: rec=recorder; S’o=sopranino; S=soprano; A=alto; T=tenor; B=bass; gB=great bass; Where I Teach: : (circle your choices) cB= contra bass; Tr=treble; qrt=quartet; Music Studio Public or private school Community Music School pf=piano; fwd=foreword; opt=optional; College Other : ______perc=percussion; pp=pages; sc=score; pt(s)=part(s); kbd=keyboard; bc=basso con- American Recorder Society Phone: 314-966-4082 tinuo; hc=harpsichord; P&H=postage and Fax: 314-966-4649 handling. Multiple reviews by one reviewer are 1129 Ruth Dr. TollFree: 800-491-9588 followed by that reviewer’s name. Please submit St. Louis MO 63122-1019 [email protected] music for review to: Constance M. Primus, Box www.AmericanRecorder.org 608, 1097 Main St., Georgetown, CO 80444.
September 2007 41 American Recorder Society Publications Thorn’s six trio arrangements, “Wel Erich Katz Contemporary Music Series Members Non-Members Annemarieke…,” are based on simple folk A Short Tale for Two Basses Suzanne M. Angevine (Level II) (2 scores) $5 $8 tunes similar to those in Three Low Coun- Dialogue and Dance Cecil Effinger (SATB)(Level II-III) (score & parts) $10 $18 Dorian Mood Sally Price (SATB) (Level II) (score & parts) $10 $18 tries Folksongs. All of the parts are appro- Double Quartet for Recorders Peter Ballinger (Level II-III) (score & parts) $10 $18 priate for intermediates (rather than one Entrevista Frederic Palmer (SATB) (Level II) (2 scores & 4 recorder parts) $8 $14 Kyrie and Vocalise for Soprano Voice &Recorders Stanley W. Osborn $8 $14 specifically for beginners, as in the other (SATB) (Level II) (2 scores & 4 recorder parts) Picnic Music Jeffrey Quick (SATB) (Level II) (score & parts) $5 $8 two editions reviewed here), but the Six Short Pieces for Three Recorders edited by Alan Drake $8 $14 pieces get progressively more difficult. (3 scores) Vaclav Nelhybel (AA/TT) (Level II) Sonatina for Alto Recorder and Piano Anthony Burgess $7 $12 The melody of the title piece, “Wel An- (Level II) (2 scores) nemarieke, waar gaat gij” (Where are you Sonatine for Three Altos Lee Gannon (Level III) (score & parts) $14 $26 Suite of Jewish Folk Tunes Erich Katz (S S/A8 A/T) (Level II) (three scores) $10 $18 going, Annemarie), in G major, is shared by the soprano and tenor and ranges from 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 low D to high E. The alto harmonizes Non-members (editions over 2 years old): 1 copy-$5, 2 copies-$8.50, 3-$12, 4-$15, 5-$19.50, 6-$23 mostly in thirds with the soprano recorder. The ARS is happy to provide photocopied enlargements of any Members’ Library edition at the same prices. Please specify “Members’ Library Enlargement.” The second piece is based on the Arioso and Jazzy Rondo (AB) Carolyn Peskin New Rounds on Old Rhymes (4 var.) Erich Katz Dutch national anthem, “Wilhelmus van Bruckner’s Ave Maria (SSATTBB) Other Quips (ATBB) Stephan Chandler Nassouwe.” This melody is from an old Jennifer W. Lehmann, arr. Poinciana Rag (SATB) Laurie G. Alberts Canon for 4 Basses (BBBB) David P. Ruhl Santa Barbara Suite (SS/AA/T) Erich Katz French soldiers’ song, and the words refer Dancers (AT) Richard Eastman Sentimental Songs (SATB) David Goldstein, arr. to William the Silent (1533-1584) of the Different Quips (AATB) Stephan Chandler Serie for Two Alto Recorders (AA) Frederic Palmer Elegy for Recorder Quartet (SATB) Carolyn Peskin Slow Dance with Doubles (2 x SATB) Colin Sterne principality of Orange. All of the three Elizabethan Delights (SAA/TB) Sonata da Chiesa (SATB) Ann McKinley parts keep the fingers moving in running Jennifer W. Lehmann, arr. S-O-S (SATB) Anthony St. Pierre Four Airs from “The Beggar’s Opera” (SATB) Three Bantam Ballads (TB) Ann McKinley eighth notes. The tenors remain within a Kearney Smith, arr. Three Cleveland Scenes (SAT) Carolyn Peskin D octave (with F ), but ranges of the upper Gloria in Excelsis (TTTB) Robert Cowper Tracings in the Snow in Central Park (SAT) Idyll (ATB) Stan McDaniel Robert W. Butts two parts extend an octave and a fourth. Imitations (AA) Laurie G. Alberts Trios for Recorders (var.) George T. Bachmann In Memory of Andrew (ATB) David Goldstein Triptych (AAT/B) Peter A. Ramsey “Het Regende Zeer” (It was raining a Lay Your Shadow on the Sundials (TBgB) Two Bach Trios (SAB) William Long, arr. lot), the third piece in this set, provides Terry Winter Owens Two Brahms Lieder (SATB) Thomas E. Van Dahm, arr. Little Girl Skipping and Alouette et al (SATBCb) Variations on “Drmeš” (SATB) Martha Bishop quite a contrast to the first two. Its Timothy R. Walsh Vintage Burgundy (S/AS/ATT) melody—in G Dorian mode, with con- Los Pastores (S/AAA/T + perc) Virginia N. Ebinger, arr. Jennifer W. Lehmann, arr. stantly changing time signatures—has a ARS Information Booklets: very Medieval flavor, and Thorn has set it ARS members: 1 booklet-$13, 2 booklets-$23, 3-$28, 4-$35, 5-$41, 6-$47, 7-$52 in Medieval sounding counterpoint. This Non-members: 1 booklet-$18, 2 booklets-$33, 3-$44, 4,$55, 5-$66, 6-$76, 7-$86 arrangement is more difficult to play well Adding Percussion to Medieval and Improve Your Consort Skills Susan Carduelis Renaissance Music Peggy Monroe Music for Mixed Ensembles Jennifer W. Lehmann because of the perfect intervals, mixed American Recorder Music Constance Primus Playing Music for the Dance Louise Austin meters, and extended ranges— soprano The Burgundian Court and Its Music Recorder Care Scott Paterson and tenor parts up to high A and the alto Judith Whaley, coord. to high D from a low F . Education Publications The ARS Personal Study Program in Thirteen Stages to Help You Improve Your Playing (1996). The fourth piece, “Mijn Vader Is Een First copy free to ARS Members (mailed to new members as they join); replacement copies, $3. Bakker” (My father is a baker), provides Guidebook to the ARS Personal Study Program (1996). Material formerly published in the Study Guide and Study Guide Handbook, plus additional resources. Members, $11; non-members, $20. challenges in “bouncy” 16th notes, partic- ARS Music Lists (2002 with 2003 Supplement). Graded list of solos, ensembles, and method books. ularly in the tenor part, while the soprano Members $9; non-members, $15. Package Deal available only to ARS members: Guidebook and Music Lists/Supplement ordered together, $16. and alto share the melody. The tenor Junior Recorder Society Leader’s Resource Notebook. ARS members, $20; non-members, $40 (updates at reduced rates after initial purchase). recorder introduces the gently rolling tune $5 Dues for each JRS student member sponsored by an ARS member ($4 each for groups of 10+). of “Naar Ostland Willen Wij Rijden” (We want to sail to the east), then the upper Videos Recorder Power! Educational video from the ARS and recorder virtuoso John Tyson. parts take over, adding decorative 16th An exciting resource about teaching recorder to young students. ARS members may borrow a copy for one month notes. The set ends with a jolly fast piece, by sending $5 to the ARS office along with the address to which the tape should be shipped. Pete Rose Video. Live recording of professional recorderist Pete Rose in a 1992 Amherst Early Music Festival recital. “Een Oud Pastoor” (An old pastor)— Features Rose performing a variety of music. and an interview of him by ARS member professional John Tyson. well worth some arpeggio practice! Other Publications Colorado members of the Denver and Chapter Handbook. A resource on chapter operations for current chapter leaders or those considering forming an Colorado Springs ARS chapters and the ARS chapter. ARS members, $10; non-members, $20 (updates free after initial purchase). One free copy sent to each ARS chapter with 10 members or more. Georgetown Recorder Consort enjoyed Consort Handbook. Resource on consort topics such as group interaction, rehearsing, repertoire, performing. playing these editions. Several will buy ARS member prices: CD, $10; hard copy, $20; combo price of CD and hard copy ordered together, $25. Discography of the Recorder, Vol. I (1989) . Compiled by Scott Paterson and David Lasocki. them to use for school performances, Discography of the Recorder, Vol. II (1990-1994) . Compiled by Scott Paterson. Either single volume: ARS members $23; non-members, $28. Play-the-Recorder Month events, and Both Discography volumes together: ARS members only, $40. teaching lower intermediate groups. American Recorder: Cumulative Index for Vols. I-XXXX. ARS members, $20; non-members, $32. Index Supplement, Vol. XXXIV-XXXX. ARS members, $8; non-members, $14. Connie Primus received the 2006 ARS Presidential Special Honor Award, and is a Shipping & Handling Fees Under $10 - add $3; $10-19.99 - add $4; $20-29.99 - add $5; $30-39.99 - add $6; $40-49.99 - add $7. All prices are in U.S. former President of the ARS. She served on dollars. For Canadian or foreign postage, pay by credit card and actual postage is charged. the ARS Board for 14 years. She has taught Please make checks payable to ARS. VISA/MC/AMEX/Disc also accepted. music to adults and children and has per- ARS, 1129 Ruth Drive, St. Louis, MO 63122 U.S. 800-491-9588 [email protected] formed on recorder and flute for many years.
42 American Recorder New Music from Mieroprint in Brief: out. The Broder and Michel stand out trasting beamed groups of notes with LEBEN AUS NEBEL, BY FRANS GEYSEN. above the rest. Ruhling’s piece is more in- stemless ones in free rhythm. Unfolding EM 1097 (
September 2007 43 Filled with extended techniques and CONSIDER ADVERTISING IN improvisation, Kai is perhaps the most ______CLASSIFIED exciting of these four pieces. For two ______superb virtuosi, it would provide much ______opportunity for collaborative interplay. ______The set includes two scores, which Full page ...... $565 would be the only way to truly play the 2/3 page ...... $420 1/2 page ...... $345 work effectively. 1/3 page ...... $270 All of these works are only for the 1/4 page ...... $210 Where the haves 1/6 page ...... $165 advanced player and ensemble, but are 1/8 page ...... $120 worth investigation if one seeks new and have-nots 1/12 page...... $ 90 repertoire of this sort. Being a virtuoso of the recorder world 1 column inch ...... $ 55 performer on the recorder himself, can find each other Prices include web site/e-mail link directly from Yoshimine writes music that stretches your ad in AR On-line,
44 American Recorder