Various speakers
There has always been music. From David dancing and singing before the Lord, to Greeks, Monks, and Medici, and lo! There was the Renaissance and its beautiful music. Over the past 30 years, the Boulder/Denver metro area has become one of the most important centers for the current “Renaissance” of early music performance. Learn where and how our local music directors found early music manuscripts, including about 250 years of vocal music from rich polyphony to harmony; how musical forms and styles evolved from early Renaissance to late Baroque; the birth of the orchestra and development of musical instruments; the growth and refinement of opera from musical drama; and the art and excitement of performing early music on authentic old instruments, many of which you’ll never see in a modern orchestra.
Rub shoulders with six local, world-class musicians who have sung, played, or directed choral and instrumental music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods throughout the USA and Europe internationally.
Week 1 -Frank Nowell: Harpsicordist-Artistic Director, Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado: “The Birth of the Orchestra.”
Week 2 -Robin McNeil: Course Leader, The Academy: “Baroque Music from Beginnings to Bach.”
Week 3-Peter Schimpf: Associate Professor and Chair of the Music Department at Metropolitan State University; founder of Metro State’s Early Music Ensemble: “The Birth of Opera.”
Week 4 -Thomas Edward Morgan: Artistic Director and Conductor, Ars Nova Singers: “Tapestries of Sound.”
Week 5- Zachary Carrettin: Violin Soloist and Music Director, Boulder Bach Festival: “J.S. Bach’s compositions for unaccompanied violin and cello.”
Week 6- Evanne Browne: Artistic Director, Seicento Baroque Ensemble; Singer with a specialty in baroque music performance; Music Director, First Presbyterian Church, Boulder: Topic TBD.
REQUIRED READING:
Lorraine’s Website, which is dedicated to this course, http://www.lcsherry.org/