Early Music America Spring 2014 - (Page 2)

Editor'snote T The scope of Mark Longaker's "Early Music Is a Capital Idea" (page 34) didn't allow for digging up every historical root, but I'd like to mention a group I played in from 1973 to 1978: The Washington Consort, founded by The Washington Consort lutenist Howard Bass. I joined the ensemble at the invitation of my recorder teacher Marrie Bremer (a student of Frans Brüggen in her native Holland), and our regular membership included violinist Mary Price, gambist Doug Wolters, soprano Doris McLaughlin, and a tenor (ﬁrst Rembert Herbert, then Carver Blanchard). We played at the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institution, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Washington Theater Club, and many local churches. Our out-of-town gigs included concert series at York College in Pennsylvania and in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and in 1976, we introduced the idea of using early music and historical instruments with student ensembles to an audience of curious public school music teachers at the Music Educators National Conference biennial meeting in Atlantic City. We pretty much had the ﬁeld to ourselves before the Folger Consort came along, and that's where Mark's report begins. In the same way, a very vital present is replacing the past in terms of large donations to the early music ﬁeld. Heidi Waleson's article "Donors ex machina" (page 25) necessarily skips over some earlier subvention, like the Mellon Foundation's 1989 Period Instrument Orchestra Program (an important $600,000 commitment that also boosted the service capabilities of EMA), Robert B. Strassler's foundational support to the Aston Magna Foundation for Music, the E. Nakamichi Foundation (whose founder liked how the harpsichord showed off the transients in his hightech ampliﬁers), and of course, the National Endowment for the Arts. "Three Small Nails" refers to the method of attaching the neck to a violin in the days of Amati and Stradivari, a technique not taught to modern luthiers like Karl Dennis. But what if, as Tamara Bernstein recounts, a modern builder decided to trust the old techniques, much as instrumentalists in the mid-20th century began to trust the old music treatises? Would it make a difference? Read her story beginning on page 28 and ﬁnd out. Brandon Labadie, who studied Baroque oboe in Juilliard's Historical Performance Program, was looking forward last summer, not back. His interest was in how electronic sound effects might contribute to the variation format in a newly composed version of the folia. You can read about his results on page 39, and listen to them, too. Because this is Vol. 20, No. 1, our mood, understandably, is to look back. Our In Conclusion page recalls Vol. 1, No. 1, of Early Music America and reprints its original mission statement. EMAg promised "to cover-in a way that is readable, informative, and challenging-the individuals, events, and issues that make up early music," a worthy goal and one that we always try to keep in mind. 2 Spring 2014 Early Music America Editor Benjamin Dunham editor@earlymusic.org Publisher Ann Felter ann@earlymusic.org Editorial Advisory Board Maria Coldwell Jeffery T. Kite-Powell David Klausner Steven Lubin Anthony P. Martin Advertising Manager Patrick Nugent ads@earlymusic.org Recording Reviews Editor Tom Moore recordings@earlymusic.org Book Reviews Editor Mark Kroll books@earlymusic.org Editorial Associate Mark Longaker emag@earlymusic.org Editorial Assistant Andrew Levy Early Music America (ISSN #1083-3633) is published quarterly by Early Music America, Inc., 801 Vinial Street, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Subscription price (4 issues) Individual, U.S. and Canada $30; Institutional $80-$135; overseas add $10 for shipping and handling. Periodicals postage paid at Pittsburgh, PA, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Early Music America, Inc., 801 Vinial Street, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Copyright © 2013 by Early Music America, Inc., and its contributors. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of any work herein without the express permission of Early Music America or other copyright owner is unlawful. EMA Office 801 Vinial Street, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412/642-2278 Fax: 412/642-2279 Toll-free: 888/SACKBUT E-mail: info@earlymusic.org www.earlymusic.org http://www.earlymusic.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Early Music America Spring 2014

Editor's Note
Reader Forum
Sound Bytes
Musings: My No Early Music Dream
Profile: Choral Conductor Amelia LeClair
Recording Reviews
Donors ex machina
Three Small Nails
Early Music Is a Capital Idea
Composing Electronic Music for Baroque Instruments
2014 Guide: Workshops & Festivals
Book Reviews
Ad Index
In Conclusion: 4,568 Pages Ago

Early Music America Spring 2014