This fantastic piece by Bach is still ringing in my head from a glorious concert with The Bach Project on Saturday evening! (This is not our recording, sadly). #EarlyMusicMonday youtu.be/QVmIKWQC8XQ?...
In writing program notes for next weekend's concert with The Bach Project, I came across this important figure who may or may not have been the intended recipient of Bach's four "Lutheran Masses"! Meet Count Frantisek Antonin von Sporck! #EarlyMusicMonday
www.baroquemusic.org/biosporck.html
I'm reflecting on this Easter Monday about how much gorgeous Renaissance music for Easter is about the women coming to the tomb... like this beautiful piece by Taverner for Easter Day. #EarlyMusicMonday youtu.be/pTLx7aL7dIQ?...
1. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
2. I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.
3. Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother.
4. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
5. I thirst.
6. It is finished.
7. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
The “seven last words” may have an alternate Christian meaning, but they are also mile markers on the journey to death, one that we all have to make, but one that we don’t make alone (however one chooses to interpret that).
And somehow nothing about Good Friday matters to me as much as this. Beyond race, faith, identity, or any other things that divide us, we all have to face death.
Who could forget the year the Rabbi was given the last word? Especially since he pointed out how it was appropriate that the Rabbi have the last word since Jesus was a Jew. His teaching about the Jewish perspective on death, especially in that era, changed my view of the whole story entirely.
For three hours, from 12-3pm, we meditated on the transition that comes for all of us. The myriad of ways it appears, the different ways people respond to its presence. There were tears, there was grief, there was so much humor.
Their reflections were varied - some focused on the more traditional religious context, some on their unique cultural perspective on death, others on the role of chaplains and faith in a medical setting - but in all of these were woven stories of people encountering death.
While that may seem like an odd choice for a Christian liturgy, the “7 last words” represent the transition from life to death. That transcends any faith tradition, race, creed, or identity. And who better to reflect on the stages of that transition than those who see it day in and day out?
It was ecumenical - various Christian traditions were represented - but broadened even more to include non-Christian viewpoints.
For each of the “seven words”, there would be a reading, a piece of music or a communal hymn, and then a spoken reflection. These reflections were offered by chaplains and doctors from the MGH community.
Pre-pandemic I participated in a service at Mass General Hospital. It was roughly framed around the “3 Hours” Christian liturgy, based on the 7 last statements of Jesus before he died. But for being something based on a VERY Christian framework, this service was somehow much more than that.
The most meaningful Holy Week service I ever sang wasn’t in a church.
@mosheniko.bsky.social thanks for the tip!
Meet Harriett Abrams! She studied with Thomas Arne, who composed an opera specifically for her. She sang in festivals of Handel's music, appeared in concerts organized by Johann Peter Salomon, composed her own pieces, and worked with Haydn!). #EarlyMusicMonday en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet...
John Blow was Henry Purcell's teacher and had a tremendous career in sacred music. I came across his "Salvator Mundi" setting yesterday and had to share! #EarlyMusicMonday
youtu.be/oJE6Dxuog6o?...
Sometimes you just need to listen to some gorgeous Tye (courtesy of Cinquecento)! #EarlyMusicMonday youtu.be/m3fYkfJvTVo?...
It's the time of year when questions about Bach and anti-semitism rightfully swirl and answers are in short supply. By way of adding to the chaos, meet Sara Levy - Jewish harpsichordist, great-aunt to Felix Mendelssohn, and a student of W.F. Bach. #EarlyMusicMonday
wam.rutgers.edu/sara-levy-an...
Mendelssohn gets a lot of credit for reviving interest in the music of Bach. So... what did he actually do? And what does that mean for the rest of us who try to revive music from hundreds of years ago? #EarlyMusicMonday youtu.be/1fPuadrUYoE?...
How about some juicy English polyphony for this snowy Monday?
#EarlyMusicMonday
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVSz...
One of Michael's books plays snippets of several pieces by J.S. Bach (because of course it does). This one always gets him off his feet and dancing! #EarlyMusicMonday youtu.be/Kl6R4Ui9blc?...
I came across this gorgeous piece by Jean Mouton last week, and it was just what this Monday needed. #EarlyMusicMonday youtu.be/pTABD9S8ypc?...
Ever wondered what happens when parts of a piece of music are lost? Check out this fantastic explanation from Early Music Sources, and remember "... a reconstructor should have skills similar to those a composer from the relevant period would have had." #EarlyMusicMonday
youtu.be/0TF_a6EkCy8?...
@matthewbgroves.bsky.social: “Now here’s some very niche humor ( @jimlapbap.bsky.social )”
Me: “oh! Send it to me!”
Matthew: “For #EarlyMusicMonday ?”
www.facebook.com/reel/1379415...
Who gets to come to concerts? Who gets to study music? Who gets hired? Who is programmed? Who had the connections to be published? Who is missing? This #EarlyMusicMonday let's keep asking questions (and acting accordingly) so the concert hall reflects the beauty/diversity of the world around us.
It's been a while since I did a post about an early instrument, so here's an explanation (and comparison) of the baroque trumpet! #EarlyMusicMonday www.youtube.com/watch?v=b24w...
Friend of Beethoven, teacher of Berlioz and Liszt, and composer of seriously cool (and weird) etudes! Meet Anton Reicha! #earlymusicmonday youtu.be/hh2Mrm1WeZ4?...
Meet Charles Burney! Though he was a musician in his own right, he is better known now for his writings and affiliations with other composers of his day! #earlymusicmonday www.britannica.com/biography/Ch...
If I haven't been asleep yet, Monday isn't over, right? This tenor premiered roles for Handel and Thomas Arne, and was part of the first performance of a piece that would become the British National Anthem. Meet John Beard! #EarlyMusicMonday en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Be...