MAY, 2012
What's Baroque?
(by
Angela Owen, from April 1997 UpBeat)
We've been playing music by Bach, Telemann and Vivaldi, three composers of the Baroque period. To us, their music exemplifies the best of what that period had to offer - a period we usually feel ended with the death of J. S. Bach in 1750.
The term baroque for a specific musical style and period surfaced first in the musicological writings of the 1920' s in Germany. Historically, the Baroque period is said to have lasted from about the late 16th to the mid 18th century and was followed immediately by the Classic era of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Most people know the meaning of "classic" - but what's "baroque"?
The earliest writer to use this term was H. Wolff1in who in 1888 published a book called Renaissance und Barock. However, until Curt Sachs published Barockmusik in 1919, the word was mainly associated with visual art. Sachs' formulation of baroque as a concept of music history was taken over and developed in the US, especially by Manfred Bukofzer in his books Allegory in Baroque Music (1939) and Music in the Baroque Era (1948).
Etymologically the word is traced back to barucco or barocco which originally meant "an irregularly shaped pearl". A secondary connotation was "irregular, flamboyant, bizarre" .
As terminology for an art style baroque was used for the first time in Denis Diderot's Encyclopedie of 1750 in an article by Jean-Jacque Rousseau who applies it as an architectural adjective denoting exaggeration. Several other authors use it in a derogatory manner when discussing both visual arts and literature. Only in the 20th century did baroque regain its positive meaning when the art and music of its era were reevaluated by new generations of appreciative fans, both professional and amateur.
(Angela Owen was our Music Director from 1967 to 1987, after which she was the editor of Upbeat until 2000.)
ConductorÕs Corner
Dear
members of the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra,
Listed below is
information regarding the final meeting, dress rehearsal and performance that
will conclude MPROÕs 2011-2012 season. Bass viola da gamba, great bass and contrabass recorders will be needed
for the meeting on May 9. These instruments
plus krummhorns and dulcien
will be needed for the dress rehearsal on June 1 and concert on June 2. Please note that Friday, June 1, is the
dress rehearsal for MPROÕs spring concert, and this rehearsal will take place
at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1106
Alameda de las Pulgas in
San Carlos at 7:30 P.M. The spring concert will take place at Trinity Presbyterian Church on Saturday, June 2, at
2:00 P.M. As
in the past, small ensembles are encouraged to appear in the spring
concert. Those groups that intend
to perform at the spring concert on June 2 are asked to send me the following
information by May 23: the title(s)
of the music to be performed, the name(s) of the composer(s), the name of the
ensemble (if any) and the names of the ensemble's members.
Wednesday, May 9
Dunstable: Sancta Maria
Piazzolla: Resurrecci—n del Angel, Un Dia de Paz,
Los
Paraguas de Buenos Aires
Stradella: Sonata
Schmelzer: Sonata ˆ 7
Friday, June 1
Trinity Presbyterian Church
1106 Alameda de las Pulgas,
San Carlos
7:30 P.M.
Stradella: Sonata
Hovhaness: Let them praise the name of the Lord
Brade: Allmand
Schmelzer: Sonata ˆ 7
Dunstable: Sancta Maria
Piazzolla: Resurrecci—n del Angel, Un Dia de Paz,
Los
Paraguas de Buenos Aires
Saturday, June 2
MPRO Spring Concert
Trinity Presbyterian Church
2:00 P.M.
Stradella: Sonata
Dunstable: Sancta Maria
Hovhaness: Let
them praise the name of the Lord
Piazzolla: Resurrecci—n del Angel, Un Dia de Paz,
Los
Paraguas de Buenos Aires
Brade: Allmand
Schmelzer: Sonata ˆ 7
This seasonÕs spring concert will
present a wide variety of selections from the 15th through the 20th
centuries featuring all of the orchestraÕs resources heard in a new location
ideally suited to the music programmed, and I encourage you to invite your
family and friends to attend this performance. I would also like to thank the members
of MPRO for all of their hard work and diligence in preparing the music for
this concert and, once again, want to express my thanks to the orchestra's officers for their invaluable expertise in
seeing to the necessary tasks that make MPRO's programs possible as well as for
organizing a highly successful workshop this season. I wish all MPRO members the very best
this summer and look forward to seeing all of you again in September at our
first meeting of the 2012-2013 season as the orchestra begins its 50th year.
Sincerely, Fred Palmer
u u u u u u u u u u
Foothill
Presbyterian Church Music Series
Saturday, May 12, 2012 Ð 3:00
PM
Musici della
Doria - Renaissance and Beyond - Doris Williams (vocals, lute), Jonathon Harris
(recorders) & Howard Kadis (lute, archlute) in a program of Italian and English
songs, arias and instrumental music from the 16th and 17th centuries. (www.doriswilliams.com/ )
Sunday, June 3, 2012 Ð 7:00
PM
The Peralta Consort
- The Birth of Baroque - Kraig Williams, Stevie White, Greta Hryciw,
Mike Megas (recorders), Bruce Perkins (guitar),
Carol Tillman (lever harp) & Bill
Andersen (keyboard), PLUS special
guest, Claudia Gantivar
(recorder) from Columbia! How were musical styles around Europe
& the Isles changing into what would be known as ÒBaroqueÓ? Come hear!
Suggested Donation for all concerts is $10 per
person. Reception
to follow each concert.
Foothill Presbyterian Church is located at 5301 McKee Road in San
Jose. Wheelchair
accessible. For further
information email
FoothillPC@gmail.com or call
408.258.8133.
Where I Have Been
(concluded)
Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I
go there more often as I'm getting older.
One of my favorite places to be
is in Suspense! It really gets the
adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can
get!
I may have been in Continent, and I don't remember what country I was in. It's an age thing.
 |
The Board: President: Amy Booth; Treasurer: Leslie Pont; Membership: Chris Flake; Publicity: Marguerite Dilley;
Newsletter Editor: Dick Davies; Music Sales: Laura Gonsalves; Graphics: Mary Ashley; Webmaster: Dan Chernikoff;
Workshop Coordinator: TBD; Consort Coordinator: TBD; Hospitality: Claire Heinzelman; Historian: TBD;
Music
Director: Fred Palmer. MPRO website: < http://www.mpro-online.org >
 |