Madison morning 2
Well, we're underway.
The first event was afternoon "mass" rehearsal. The orchestra was a motley crew, with everything from a doucaine to a modern guitar. I had decided to sing because, after all, it's vocal music, and I figured I'd be more useful there. I was right; there was a swarm of soprani, a gaggle of alti, some basses, and a handful of tenors. I had decided I would only sing tenor-clef tenor parts, but I jumped on Tenor I in one of the Sweelinck psalms because it wasn't being heard. With my technicolor falsetto As, I am sure it's being heard now. I had avoided mass at Amherst, because motets in the style of Mahler 8 really aren't my thing. But I would crawl over broken glass to sing Josquin (whose music, like Bach's, is practically indestructible), and Paul Flight knows his business.
At mass I discovered that Eberhard Gerlach was here. I played with Eberhard under Denis Stevens at the Ann Arbor Medieval Festival in 1977, very nearly my public debut as an early musician. Back then he was "that old guy with a bunch of instruments"; now he really IS old, but well-preserved.
Afterwards, I ate pelmeni (not a thrill) and a smoothie from some California chain, listening to 2 divorcees who had finally found each other, revelling in the discovery. It was so cute! Bought a few used gardening books, and then off to check the course postings. I got in all the classes I wanted. There are only 2 in the dulcian course. Too many sackbuts in the afternoon alta (rumored to have some great players in), so I will for sure be borrowing a 460 shawm (from Joan maybe, or if not, Rotem has offered one.)
Piffaro is always worth hearing, but they were a bit off their game in the first half of last night's concert. And I was disappointed to not hear any motets done on louds. OTOH, they're doing some really tasty harp-and-lute stuff, including a recorder/harp/lute rendition of Josquin's Fortuna Desperata (or, as I refer to it from my alta perspective, "the Josquin sackbut concerto"...that's a wicked bass line.) And Susato's Morisque featured 2 tuned Renaissance long drums as quasi-tympani. Afterwards was a reception of Dutch food provided by Slow Food Madison: herring, husarensalade, artisanal bread, gouda from Babcock Hall, sweets...and microbrewed witbier...which was as potent as it was tasty. I has thankful to have only one street to stumble across to make it to bed.
Comments