The Old and the New

The Old and the New, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

What you can't see in this photograph is what intrigued me. I was at a concert by Arion. The soloist was David Breitman, a fortepiano player. For the second half of the concert he played as part of the orchestra. Arion is a baroque orchestra - playing on period instruments (instruments that would have been played at the time the music was composed) as well as using techniques (e.g. a different bowing style) of the time. A fortepiano is a precursor to the piano. Breitman walked out with a tablet, not a paper score. He had a foot pedal with which he advanced the pages. Of course this is easier with a fortepiano as there are no pedals on the instrument. It was an odd juxtaposition, but the music was really what it was all about - and that was lovely.

Harpsichord Keys

Harpsichord Keys, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

What better way to spend time on a dreary October afternoon than playing music. As Baroque music lovers, my spouse and I play in Baroque pitch (A=415). His friend is equally immersed in music. In one room in his apartment he has an organ and two harpsichords - one in modern pitch (A=440) and this smaller one in Baroque pitch.



We played through the afternoon - Corelli, Quantz and Bach. It keeps my brain flexible as I switch recorders depending on the piece - my alto in A, my voice flute in D. But mostly, playing music fills my soul with joy. A little house music - making our own - not just consuming it.

Overlooking the Lake

Overlooking the Lake, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Photos: July 7, 2011
Despite the busy schedule there are quieter spots to sit - though the sound of people playing or practicing often wafts through the air. Fortunately there is quiet hour from 2:00 - 3:00 when everything stops.

Evening concerts are first class with some of Canada's top early music specialists. And every day we get to take classes with these incredible people

           

Some CDs you might want to get to hear some of these wonderful musicians:

Ensemble Caprice: Salsa Baroque, Telemann and the  Baroque Gypsies and any others!
Les Boréades: Their most recent is La Geniale - but all are delightful
Geneviève Soly: if you like harpsichord music - she is a specialist in the music of Graupner
Laura Pudwell: she has recorded with the Toronto Consort as well as with other ensembles
Olivier Brault (the violinist pictured above) can be heard with Ensemble Caprice, Quatuor Franz Joseph, Les Boréades. He is an astonishingly versatile and virtuosic violinist.

Music on the Balcony

Music on the Balcony, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Photos: July 3, 2011

Sunday at CAMMAC is busy - unpacking, organizing the room, seeing old friends and meeting new ones. But there is always time for music. This accordion player enjoyed sitting on the balcony over looking the lake.

Music in nature - what can be better?

Musical Window

Musical Window, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I often go to concerts in Redpath Hall at McGill, but usually at night. An afternoon concert allowed me to admire the stained glass windows. This is the top part of one of three long windows. Music has had a place in universities since the Middle Ages when music theory was taught as one of the liberal arts. The men under the musician are composers - the names that can be seen are Pergolesi, Purcell, Palestrina and Monteverdi. I suspect, the white wigged gentleman is none other than Bach.

Should that be true, he was looking down on a concert of music by his son, C.P.E. Bach whose music has echoes of his father's, but in a very different style. A young harpsichordist, Mahan Esfahanis directed the orchestra from the harpsichord and then played incredibly.
Learn about him here.

Music music

Music music, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Daily Shoot: Make a photograph of something that captures a small bit the flavor of where you live or your culture.
There is no doubt - a big part of my culture is baroque music - playing it (alone or with friends), listening at home or going to concerts. Here are just a few of the CDs my spouse and I own. Many are by Montreal artists.

Belle Danse

Belle Danse, originally uploaded by susanvg.

A week full of concerts - what a delight. Tuesday's concert was presented by Ensemble Masques. They were joined by Les Jardins Choréographiques, a baroque dance group. It was an incredible evening of music from the time of Louis XIV, whose court was the venue of many grand spectacles incorporating music, dance, theatre and costume. In many ways it was where ballet started as dance masters were numerous and for the first time they notated the dance movements and gestures.

The dancers were delightful, costumes were sumptuous and the music was lovely. Altogether - a feast!

Montreal Recorder Festival

Renaissonics, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Four days of musical adventure, from lectures on playing Renaissance music to concerts, to classes... Astonishing concerts by the Renaissonics, Ensemble Caprice with two violinists from Rebel and a new find for me - Horacio Franco. Virtuosity, originality and wonderful, personal interpretation of the music

And the festival is about connecting and reconnecting with people who love music the way I do. My Toronto friends come to stay and we enjoyed the festival together. And this time I reconnected with a teacher who had once come up to coach us on playing Renaissance dance music. It's always good to learn and relearn. Each time you are exposed to ideas the understanding is deeper and more can be integrated. As a result of the weekend of workshops I have new goals and musical ideas to work on. It's amazing how you can feel tired and rejuvenated at the same time.

So here are my new resolutions
- spend some time improvising on simple melodies or chord progressions
- spend some time practicing patterns for ornamentation so they become part of my repertoire
- play around with music more
- play more Renaissance music and look at the words and phrases - let the recorder speak the text
These are thanks to John.

But mostly - play, play and play as music is a language that transcends other languages and lets us speak from the heart.

If you haven't heard the Renaissonics click here and select a piece.

June 27/10: Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria

Another day of concerts, discovering new venues in Old Montreal. We stopped by the cafe and heard Les Voix Humaines playing from Bach's Art of the Fugue. We then went to Chateau Ramezay to hear Viva Biancaluna, whose concert so impressed us on Friday evening, talk about improvisation and Italian frottola. It was a fascinating look at how poetry and music have served each other.


Another Old Montreal find, the afternoon concert, Amor, Fortuna y Ventura, Spanish Renaissance music played by flute trio, Dyscantus, was held in the garden of the Pierre du Calvet Hotel. The trio played on matching flutes made by Boaz Berney, who was also a member of the group. Birds added to the soundtrack.

June 27/10: Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Monteverdi's opera, Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria was performed in the atrium of a shopping area. The acoustics were too resonant and the fountain did not enhance the opera. But this was quite a spectacle! The musicians of the festival were joined by the Bread and Puppet Theater which provided the action to the musicians' voices. From the website "Monteverdi’s last opera: a story of the magic of the ancient Gods who play with the fate of humankind, their puppets!" It was close to three hours of glorious music, delightful puppets - a mix of historical performance, serious issues and a large dollop of humour.

Day 260: Before the Concert

Day 260: Before the Concert, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Flutissimo's tenth anniversary concert took place at Tanna Schulich Hall at McGill University. We shared the stage with a professional viola da gamba ensemble, Les Voix Humaines. What a thrill to share a concert with these incredible musicians. My seat was next to them so I felt I had a private concert each time it was their turn to play.

I go to many concerts and know many of the early music performers in Montreal. It is interesting to play in such a professional space and feel, just a bit, some of what they face in their concerts. To live the dress rehearsal, when things go wrong, to face the nerves, to experience the feeling of the audience and then the exhilaration after the concert is to glimpse into their realities. I wouldn't want to live it on a regular basis, but it was sure fun for an evening....
....and by the way - the concert went very well.

Day 246: Cello

Day 246: Cello, originally uploaded by susanvg.

This cello belongs to a friend of mine, a professional cellist. It was made in China. She has told me that the Chinese are making wonderful instruments now, that they will become the predominant instrument makers.

She, like me, has someone in her family who is over 100; in her case it is her mother. When her mother was still living at home, H. and I used to play together to entertain her. What a privilege to have a professional accompany me while I played sonatas. Now that her mother is in a nursing home, we have decided to prepare a little concert to entertain the residents, so instead of just sight-reading through music, we are working on a few pieces. While I have to practise to get all the fingering fluid, she has been adapting her playing to baroque music, which is quite different stylistically from what she usually plays. So Vivaldi, Barsanti, Handel - your music will bring pleasure, yet again.