House Music

With the advent of recorded music, the need to make one's own music lessened. People could have concerts in their homes. What a gain! But what a loss... More and more, we have become passive consumers rather than active makers.

The joy of making music, of sharing the pleasure of playing together is an essential part of my life. My spouse and I spent time with friends playing Telemann, Hasse, Handel (whose birthday it was), Bach -  on recorders, baroque flutes, viola da gamba and harpsichord (an electronic one - our only nod to the electronic age).



There is a pile of music waiting for us - for another visit. Music, time with friends, a meal shared - a perfect day.

Gamba Head of Young Charles I

Gamba Head of Young Charles I, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

This head of Charles I as a young man sits on a new tenor viola da gamba made for Les Voix Humaines. He has not yet witnessed much music but he has a long illustrious concert life ahead of him.

More and more has been written lately about music being so essential to life. In fact, in one article I read it said that music may have come before speech. I know, for me, music has played many roles in my life. I have gone to music for solace, for joy, for relaxation, for stimulation and it has never disappointed me.

Musicians (other than those few pop stars) have a tough time. Instruments like this are very expensive to buy and expensive to keep. While sports figures get sponsors, advertising contracts to pay for their equipment, musicians are self-financed and their earnings are nothing like what a sports player earns.

I would hate to see Charles wear a company scarf to advertise a sponsor, but there has to be a way to make it possible for more musicians to have fine instruments. I had a chance to hear this viole played and it has a beautiful rich sound.

Shakespeare said, " Is it not strange that sheep's guts should hale souls out of men's bodies?"

This viola da gamba will speak for its players, communicating in ways mere words could never express.

Viola da Gamba

Viola da Gamba, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

I went to a house concert - on the programme was music for two viola da gambas played by Les Voix Humaines. What a treat to hear music in an intimate setting! We were treated to pieces by Marin Marais, Sainte-Colombe, Couperin, Corrette and Lebègue - music which in turn invigorated, inspired, touched the soul and made one smile. This duo has been playing together for more than 25 years and the communication between them and blending of their sound and their musical ideas is perfect.

For the uninitiated, this may look like a cello but there are many differences. Like the better known violin family, viola da gambas come in different sizes. However, the shape is slightly different. All viola da gambas are played held on or between the legs (gamba - leg in Italian). They have frets which can be moved slightly to alter the tuning. They usually have 6 strings, though this is not always the case.. The one above has 6, the one below has 7 - an addition that was made to some French viols to add a lower note. Strings are made of gut, which require more frequent tuning as they are more prone to stretching and slipping than metal strings.



You can see that the bow is held underhanded. Many viola da gambas have beautifully carved heads. Here is a closeup of the head on the top gamba.



It represents Charles I of England (he who lost his head). It is a historic viol made by Barak Norman in the late 1600s. Learn more about the viola da gamba from the site of Les Voix Humaines.

Day 225: Viola da Gamba

Day 225: Viola da Gamba, originally uploaded by susanvg.

An afternoon of music: Scarlatti, Telemann, Fasch, Handel... This viola da gamba was built from start to finish by my friend WB. The viola da gamba has gut strings and has a much more mellow sound than the cello. It must be so satisfying to play something you have built yourself. Before I got involved in Early Music, there were some workshops held in Montreal for people to build their own instruments. I looked on the internet and found a set of daunting instructions. At CAMMAC, the music camp I go to, I took some lessons on the viol (another name for the viola da gamba) but decided I was really not a string player. I'll stick to my recorders.

Day 176: Viola da Gamba Head

Day 176: Viola da Gamba Head, originally uploaded by susanvg.

The Montreal Baroque Festival has begun, launched at City Hall with music by Les Voix Humaines played on viola da gambas. This is the head of one of the period instruments, part of a collection from Hart House in Toronto. Some people mistakenly think that gambas are the ancestors of the violin family, but they are really quite different. They have frets, are all played in a similar position to the cello and are bowed underhand (you can read about them here). Susie Napper, the creative force behind the festival, discovered this chest of viols; they had not been played in about 70 years. She arranged to have them refurbished and brought them to the festival. Les Voix Humaines, of which Susie is one of the founders, played at the launch and then later played a full concert. The sound was rich and glorious.

The theme of this year's festival is Death by Chocolate in honour of Henry Purcell. One theory of why is died is a surfeit of chocolate. So each concert is named for some sort of chocolate delicacy and a sample is served as you exit the concert. This is the seventh year of the festival and each year Susie's creativity in terms of theme and programming is extraordinary. And the lines between performers and audience are blurred by encounters in the festival cafe where all intermingle, chat and celebrate the joys of music.

Day 64: Ready for music

Day 64: Ready for music, originally uploaded by susanvg.

To me, one of life's great pleasures is playing music. Today, I played baroque music with friends (recorders, violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord). This harpsichord lives at my friends' home. They have filled their lives with music, playing a variety of instruments, singing and welcoming friends to make music with them.

Telemann, Scarlatti, Purcell - we filled the afternoon with their compositions, communicating with each other and with the past, when this music was composed. Through their music we danced, felt joy, shared moments of exquisite beauty, experienced sorrow and laughed.

Playing together requires trust, listening and risk-taking as well as a level of technical and musical expertise.But when a movement works, the satisfaction is enormous. It's about teamwork, about collaboration, and mainly about communicating our musical ideas so that together we have something to say.

Nietsche said "Without music life would be a mistake." I have to agree.