a new baroque revival: breaking through the final taboo baroque splendor. a new baroque revival:...

36 Summer 2007 Early Music America

Picture this, if you will...

You are at a concert of your favorite early music group;the lights are low, candelabras adorn the stage, and magnificent and grandiose architecture surrounds you.Soon you are transported by the sounds of sparklingharpsichord in concert with other beautiful period instruments; together they produce layer upon layer ofintertwining Baroque splendor.

A New Baroque Revival:Breaking through the Final Taboo

by Grant Colburn

Glancing down at your program notes,you see the work is by yet anotherBaroque composer of whom you’venever heard. You mutter, “There are justso many of them; who can keep trackthese days?” When the music concludes,the audience erupts into applause, andas the sound begins to die away you seethe conductor rise and invite the com-poser to come to the stage to take hisbow! Have you unknowingly entered aparallel universe? Has the entire produc-tion been enveloped in some type oftime machine?Fantasy, you say? No, you have just

experienced a new and growing move-ment in the early music scene, the revivalof period composition. And scenes likethis are beginning to play out in concerthalls worldwide. In fact in Montreal,

Matthias Maute, recorder virtuoso andartistic director of Ensemble Caprice,and harpsichordist and conductor Hen-drik Bouman, formerly of the earlymusic group Musica Antiqua Köln, havebeen putting on concerts and premieringnewly written Baroque works of theirown in scenarios much like the onedescribed above. Bouman inauguratedhis Montreal concert series, “BaroqueSaMuse,” in December 2006. His inno-vative programming features newBaroque and Classical compositionswritten in the styles prevalent in 17th-and 18th-century Germany, France, Italy,England, and Spain ex tempore periodimprovisations, and transcriptions of thehistorical repertoire of the masters, allperformed by Bouman, his colleagues,and guest soloists.

CompositionReaders of this magazine are well

aware there has been a strong interestfor some time in historically informedperformance, including performance onperiod instruments. There has also beena renewed interest in building new his-torically accurate instruments. But whatabout the music itself? Surely most per-formers and artists have had the assign-ment at university to write a short inven-tion or fugue for a theory class. But howmany have continued to pursue writing,playing, and performing new music inthe early styles? Surprisingly, more thanyou may think.Matthias Maute explains, “I look at

it as writing a piece of music that hasnot yet been composed by our col-leagues of the 17th or 18th century.

MATTHIAS MAUTE

Early Music America Summer 2007 37

Therefore I mostly compose music thathas simply been ‘forgotten’ by the mas-ters of the past.”Hendrik Bouman elaborates: “It was

completely natural for musicians of the17th and 18th centuries to compose, toimprovise and create variations ad infini-tum, as well as to perform. Would younot agree, therefore, that we may alsohonor the heritage of the great masters– its inherent sublimity, the semantics ofits symbolism, the clarity of its sonori-ties, the wealth of its spontaneous orna-mentation, the swaying rhythms of itsdances, and the evocative gestures of itspantomimes – by composing anew inthe idioms they held dear? To embraceagain this wonderful integrality, which inour time is still current in most musicalgenres the world over, represents for mea logical and necessary evolution in theauthenticity movement in early music, towhich I have contributed throughout mycareer as soloist, accompanist, conduc-tor, educator, and, for over a decade, asimproviser and composer of Baroqueand Classical music.” As one who began writing my

first Baroque compositions at age 14, I thought I was alone in my somewhatodd preoccupation. With the advent of

the Internet, I found a small thoughgrowing number of people like myselfwho were creating new works emulatingthe masters of the 16th, 17th, and 18thcenturies. I also found out firsthand thatthere is an almost vitriolic disdain fromsome in the music world regarding acomposer wishing to write music in ahistorical style. Many a young composer exploring

Baroque music has perhaps been in asimilar situation as Ton Koopman,founder of The Amsterdam BaroqueOrchestra and Choir, who recounts hisown experience as a conservatory stu-dent. “I wanted to study composition aswell, but I always composed in 17th or18th century style. The teacher at theconservatory felt that I should change,that I should write in a modern style. Isaid to him, ‘But I’m not interested indoing that,’ and he replied, ‘then I’m notinterested in teaching you.’”But why would this be so? Some pos-

sible explanations for this response canperhaps best be seen in the followingobservation by Glenn Gould. In hisarticle “The Prospects of Recording”(High Fidelity, April 1966, p. 46-63),Gould imagines the case of a moderncomposer who writes a sonata that per-fectly imitates the style of Haydn. If thework was an accomplished forgery andwas thought to be an actual lost sonataby Haydn, it would be welcomed withappreciation and respect. However ifthis same piece of music were passedoff as an early sonata by Mendelssohn, it would probably be considered a relatively unimportant trifle fromMendelssohn’s youth. And if this samepiece of music were claimed to be apiece by a composer such as Vivaldi, itwould it be regarded as an amazingaccomplishment foreshadowing by 50 ormore years the coming Classical style.Gould called the shifting of aestheticjudgment due to factors outside of the

work itself “the van Meegeren syn-drome” after the renowned forger Hanvan Meegeren (1889-1947), whose paint-ing The Disciples at Emmaus was regardedby many as Vermeer’s greatest workbefore it was later exposed as a forgery.To quote his article, “And all of this

would come to pass for no other reasonthan that we have never really becomeequipped to adjudicate music per se. Oursense of history is captive of an analyti-cal method that seeks out isolatedmoments of stylistic upheaval – pivot

points of idiomatic evolution – and ourvalue judgments are largely based uponthe degree to which we can assure our-selves that a particular artist participatedin or, better yet, anticipated the nearestupheaval. Confusing evolution withaccomplishment, we become blind tothose values not explicit in an analogywith stylistic metamorphosis.”So where does this leave us when we

consider those who wish to write newmusic in a past style? Composer JosephDillon Ford, founder of the Delian Soci-ety, a community of composers and per-formers dedicated to the revitalizationof tonal traditions in art music, puts itthis way: “Since we don’t accept the con-ventional dichotomies of ‘old’ and ‘new,’‘present’ and ‘past,’ ‘modern’ and ‘archaic,’we feel truly liberated from the ‘anxietyof influence’ that drove so many 20th-

HENDRIK BOUMAN

GRANT COLBURN

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from: Ouverture & Suite for Strings in G majorRÉJOUISSANCE

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Sound file: www.voxsaeculorum.org/membermusic/boumanrejouissance.mp3



century composers to manner-istic extremes. For us the cultof hyper- individualism holdslittle attraction. Our focus isnot on trying to stand out likea sore thumb, but on convey-ing with open arms somethingthat resonatesmeaningfully withour listeners.” Inaddition to found-ing and maintain-ing the DelianSociety, Ford hashimself beenactive in writingnew Baroquemusic, including arecently complet-ed three move-ment harpsichordconcerto. He says,however, that hewrites “in morethan a dozen dif-ferent styles,many but not allof them closelylinked to particu-lar historical periods. Like a good actor,I don’t want to get typecast, so I enjoyexploring many different roles, speakingin a variety of dialects, and wearingwhatever masks or costumes seem mostappropriate. And, like a good play-wright, I don’t limit myself to the hereand now but take the liberty of evokingthrough my work many different timesand places.”

AdaptationAs one can imagine, the people

involved in writing new period music area very diverse group. Many of themhave found a home in Vox Sæculorum, anew Internet group/guild open to com-posers interested in writing Baroquemusic. Says its founder, composer Mark

Moya, “Vox Sæculorumoffers composers of the contemporary BaroqueRevival a forum to showcasetheir work and offer criticismto other like-minded artists. It is intended as a guild to

maintain theintegrity of aunique, living tradi-tion and to ensureits developmentand sustenance.Our membersshare a commonpassion for writingmusic according tothe æsthetic pre-cepts of theBaroque era. As anorganizational enti-ty, Vox Sæculorummaintains its neu-trality in the ongo-ing conflictsbetween the vari-ous currents ofcontemporaryWestern art music

and does not assert the superiority ofone type of music over another. There isplenty of room in the air for musicalvariety, and it is hoped that, through theestablishment of this society, theBaroque Revival takes its rightful placeas a legitimate artistic movement.”Moya’s story is similar to those of

many who are a part of Vox Sæculorum.“I’d been interested in classical music foras long as I could remember and dabbledin ‘writing’ music since I took up the vio-lin at seven. Around that time, I saw aPBS broadcast of Harnoncourt directinga performance of the Brandenburgs, andI think that’s what sold me on Baroquemusic specifically. I decided I wanted tomake music that sounded like that. Atfirst I listened to a lot of Baroque music

“Like a good actor, I don’t want to gettypecast, so I enjoy

exploring many differentroles, speaking

in a variety of dialects, and wearing whatever

masks or costumes seemmost appropriate. And, like

a good playwright, I don’t limit myself to thehere and now but take theliberty of evoking throughmy work many different

times and places.” – Joseph Dillon Ford

JOSEPH DILLON FORD


and tried to parrot what I’d heard. I’d sitat the piano, bang out Baroque-soundingmelodies, and scribble them on pieces ofmusic stock. Then I discovered comput-erized notation, and that made life easier.I can’t really play a keyboard instrument,so being able to write the music out andhave something play it back for me reallyhelped. Shortly thereafter, the Internetcame along, and I found Michael Starkeand Giorgio Pacchioni. They’d listen topieces I’d written, critique them, andsend back MIDI files that would illus-trate various aspects of counterpoint,harmony, and phrasing. Since this wasbeing applied to music I’d written ratherthan some textbook exercise, the tech-niques and concepts they were trying toconvey became very clear to me.”Starke and Pacchioni, mentioned by

Moya above, are also founding members

of Vox and can be considered amongthe earliest advocates of the Baroquecomposition revival. The Italian GiorgioPacchioni teaches canto figurato and his-torical counterpoint at Antiqua Mu sica,organized by the musical cultural centerNicola Vicentino, and is one of theleading figures among researchers on the composer Francesco Antonio Vallotti (1697-1780). Pacchioni’s vastoutput of pieces easily reaches into thehundreds, consisting of canons, fugues,motets, cantatas, and instrumentalsonatas and concerti. Michael Starke hasalso been a presence on the period com-position scene for some time. His firstefforts in writing period music cameabout due to a lack of new music forthe recorder ensemble he was a part ofin high school. From there his interestgrew into taking theory and composi-

tion classes at college even as he learnedthe finer points of recorder playingfrom a local street musician. Accordingto Starke, “after a long musical dry spellwhile in the military, things really accel-erated after I bought my first computerin 1994. I started feeding my composi-tions and arrangements into a notationprogram and distributing the MIDI fileson the Usenet. People soon picked themup there and began putting them onweb pages.”

EmulationBut what is it about composing new

Baroque or period music that makespeople pursue it with little or no supportfrom the musical world? The answer ispretty much unanimous.Says Bouman, “Reason one, to fully

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9

"Allegro moderato" from Joseph Dillon Ford’s Concerto for HarpsichordSound file: www.newmusicclassics.com/Ford_Concerto_i.mp3

it as a language – with its idiom and itsgrammar, its vocabulary, its regionalaccents, its expressions and expressive-ness – in which I have learned to expressmyself over the years while performing.Reason two, to enjoy performing musicthat I compose, the natural twin aspectsof musicianship. Reason three, becausethis is the next logical and unavoidablestep in early music’s pursuit for historicalauthenticity – to do as they did.”Composer Miguel Robaina of Swe-

den agrees, saying, “It’s my musical lan-guage. I love it, and it’s so much morefun to write my own music than playsomeone else’s! I’m writing because Ifeel good when creating something thatI’m satisfied with. And of course it’seven better when audiences like myworks, which they do, really.” Robaina isthe founder of the Baroque ensemblesBaroque Compagniet and Les Musiciensl’îlot Royal, which, in addition to thestandard repertoire, regularly feature liveperformances of his original music.Robaina also oversees publication of theScharffeneck Collection, an Internetassemblage of contemporary music con-vincingly written in ancient idioms by avariety of composers. In addition,Robaina is a church musician; along withLes Musiciens, he recently performed hisfull-scale Baroque Christmas Oratorio,“Ett barn är födt på thenna dagh,” in Swedish. Another member of Les Musiciens

l’îlot Royal is David Jansson, a Baroqueviolinist and period composer who holdsa masters degree in historically informedviolin performance from the Royal Con-servatory of Music in Stockholm. Jans-son, too, has had his share of negativitywhen discussing his interest in periodcomposition. “My experience is that thelearned people (my professors at theRCM or the musicologists I know, forinstance) in general respect my composi-tions as exercises in style. However, if I

claim that my compositions are writtento express something more profound,they think of them as cute attempts, atmost.” But again when asked why hedoes it, “Simply for the sake of my ownsatisfaction and to learn the styles from a theoretical horizon. It’s very valuableknowledge when you work with histori-cal interpretation.”Maute has had similar experiences.

“Some early musicians think of it as anexciting idea, but the majority of earlymusic experts usually try to find thenotes or chords or patterns in such a‘period’ piece that are not 100% con-forming to the laws of the past. Accord-ing to my experience, this attitude of ‘Iwill find you out’ is hard to avoid, andone is almost tempted to compose anddedicate a ‘Schulmeister-Kantate’ tothese experts!”

ReceptionBruce Haynes, Canadian musicolo-

gist, contributor to The New Grove Dic-tionary of Music, and author of therecently released book The End of EarlyMusic: A Period Performer’s History of Musicfor the Twenty-first Century (Oxford, 2007),writes, “This dilemma faces the Periodmusician who composes. The only wayhis pieces are likely to be accepted atface value by audiences is if he identifiesthem as the work of some musician ofthe appropriate period – one preferablynot too famous. But if, on the otherhand, he uses his own name, it inspiresan automatic uncertainty. One Periodcomposer told me that going through anunmasking routine (disguising a newlycomposed piece as an antique in order toget it taken seriously and later confessing


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Copyright 2003 by Miguel Robainawww.myspace.com/miguelrobaina

“Giga” from Miguel Robaina's Sonata á 4 in D minorSound file: www.voxsaeculorum.org/membermusic/RobainaGiga.mp3



the deception) annoys many people, andhe has stopped doing it.” This has been the experience of

another founding member of Vox Sæcu-lorum, painter and composer RomanTurovsky. Born in the Ukraine but nowliving in the United States, Turovskystudied lute with Patrick O’Brien andactually caused a bit of a stir in lutenistcircles by originally distributing his works under the family name Sautscheckt.Turovsky explains: “The momentousdecision, as always, came to me in theshower, so in themid-1990s I wroteout some pieces ina nice Baroquehand, signed themin Germantransliteration ofthe second halfof my surname,and sent them tosome lutenistswithout a returnaddress or expla-nation. The musicwas in Baroquestyle but not reallyin character, beinggrim and moroseas would have befitted an entirely differ-ent era. It included about two dozentombeaux. Then I lost track of all this forsome five years. Eventually the rumorsof mysterious and interesting lute musictrickled back to me, so (now armed witha PC and the Internet) I produced somehypermusicological mythology, explain-ing the range of styles from 1680 to1840 with four generations of purportedcomposers, all from the same family. Myego was immensely flattered to be sure,but at the same time I was surprised atthe uncritical ears, oblivious to uncharac-teristic elements or even occasional weakspots.”After his unmasking, Turovsky says,

“detractors zeroed in on my allegedimmorality, ignoring quality altogether.But after many flame-wars (some accus-ers were oblivious of the quotationsfrom Beethoven, Reger, or Giazzottothat I’d used…), I’ve earned some greatfriends for whom music’s quality is para-mount to its pedigree. Not least of theseis Luca Pianca (the founder of Il Giar di-no Armonico), who generously includeda few of my pieces in his concerts. Themost realistic summary, though, wasvoiced by a famous lutenist friend who

was in on theentire affair. Ini-tially apprehen-sive, he warmedup to my efforts,saying that while I was certainly noJ.S. Bach, I hadmanaged to pro-duce some ‘first-rate second-ratemusic!’”

Turovskyshares with manyothers in the period composi-tion movement an ability to take

the musical dialect or language of theBaroque and use it in new and interest-ing ways. This has meant applying the“Empfindsamkeit” style of composerslike C.P.E. Bach to Baroque lute, anapplication that has little or no historicalprecedent. Turovsky calls it “maximumfreedom within the Single Affekt Princi-ple. Baroque and avant-garde in one, ifyou will.”Maute, on the other side of the spec-

trum, says, “The commissions I get areusually made for contemporary pieces.However, musicians who order a pieceknow that my craftsmanship stems fromresearch into the creating of music inperiod styles. Therefore some Baroque

“It’s my musical language. I love it, and it’s so

much more fun to write my own music than play

someone else’s! I’m writingbecause I feel good when

creating something that I’msatisfied with. And of

course it’s even better whenaudiences like my works,which they do, really.”

– Miguel Robaina


influence can always be found, even inmy electronic music.”Others, like Mark Moya, have also

found ways to develop new ideas whilestill keeping within the older forms. AsMichael Starke muses, “I recently goton Mark’s case a bit for his opening aconcerto in D minor but having theconcertino enter in D major. I’m start-ing to feel like the crotchety old dude inthe rocking chair on my porch. Youyoung whippersnappers and your newfangled ideas!”As award winning composer Glen

Shannon, also a member of Vox as wellas a figure known among some of

EMAg’s readership for his work with the East Bay Recorder Society, says, “Astraight rehashing of old styles wouldn’tbe as interesting as taking those old sen-sibilities and ‘liberating’ them.” All the players within the period com-

position movement do not agree, how-ever. “I guess I just don’t see the needfor ‘liberating old sensibilities,’” saysStarke. “That implies a sort of musicalDarwinism that I have spoken againstfor years. The notion that new sensibili-ties are better than old ones is a falseone. We have made no progress in thefield of artistic expression over the cen-turies. The emotions we write about

“I don’t see the need for

‘liberating old sensibilities.’

That implies a sort

of musical Darwinism that

I have spoken against for

years. The notion that new

sensibilities are better than

old ones is a false one.

We have made no progress in

the field of artistic

expression over the

centuries. The emotions we

write about have not

changed, either. Things just

change, mostly by force

of fashion. In fact, I would

venture to say that the

musical sensibilities

of the Baroque were more

highly developed then as

compared to now.”

– Michael Starke

MICHAELSTARKE

TOMBEAU SUR LA MORT DE J.J.FROBERGER

Georg Anton Sautscheck

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Roman Turovsky's lute piece “Tombeau, sur la Mort de J.J. Froberger”Sound file: www.voxsaeculorum.org/turovskymusic/tom-frob.mp3


have not changed, either. Things justchange, mostly by force of fashion. Infact, I would venture to say that themusical sensibilities of the Baroque weremore highly developed then as com-pared to now.” Starke clarifies, however,that he has “nothing against experimen-tation, I just believe so strongly in the

power of Baroque expression that I amwary of additions from other eras thatmay dilute or weaken it.”

AspirationSo what do modern period com-

posers hope to achieve in writing newold music? And what is it that is missingin 21st-century composition that drawsthem to the Baroque period? Shannon’s answer? “Well, fortune is

definitely out, so a little fame would benice, but it’s a quill-eat-quill world outthere! Mostly, I want my players andaudiences to have a great time with themusic. It’s fun to do, and I can play it. Ienjoy working within the constraints of

w w w . b r a n d y w i n e b a r o q u e . o r g

B r a n d y w i n e B a r o q u e

C o n c e r t s i n W i l m i n g t o n & L e w e s , D e l a w a r eF o r T i c k e t s a n d I n f o r m a t i o n :

3 0 2 / 5 9 4 - 1 1 0 0

Performing on period instruments in

Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region

for over thirty years

“Fortune is definitely out, so a little fame

would be nice, but it’s a quill-eat-quill

world out there!” – Glen Shannon

Continued on page 54

MARK MOYA

DOLCISSIMO SOSPIROarie e madrigale by giulio caccini

roberta invernizziaccademia strumentale italiana

alberto rasi

The Swiss Record Label that goes forrefreshingly unspectacular discoveries.

CDX-70202-6Hybrid SACD

Winner 2007 «Early Music»

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the genre and still creating music that theplayers and audience can respond to.What’s missing in modern music is anintimacy with the listeners. An unadul-terated sound. So much of today’s musicis processed and artificial.” ComposerRoberto Jose Bancalari, a performingand recording artist in his own right, aswell as the newest member of Vox, con-curs. “What’s missing in most modernclassical music is counterpoint andimprovisation. But my friends think I’ma freak for writing music like that. Theyjust don’t get it, but it’s in my head and ithas to get out. I guess that’s the only wayI can explain it.”

Miguel Robaina adds, “There is aplace for everything these days, but Ithink early music has a lot in commonwith the jazz/pop/dance music oftoday. It’s catchy. This kind of music, it’snot as complicated as the contemporaryclassical music. Early music still workson a commercial level.” Maute agrees. “Early music, supported

by a comparatively simple harmonicstructure and rather obvious rhetoricalgestures, seems to be able to indicatedirections that we are often looking for invain in our present time. Early music as fairy tale therefore seems to be some-thing like a shelter and at the same time a

challenge to our own modern period. Ifone goes for the shelter, one will refusethe idea of composing in period stylesince it deprives one of the illusion ofdealing with distant masters. Those whoare looking at it as challenge will enjoy theattempt to be sincere, even while usingthe language of a world that is far away.”So what does the future hold for this

new music of the past? In addition tothe release of his new book, BruceHaynes will be chairing a round tablediscussion on period composition at thisyear’s Montreal Baroque Festival called,“Heaven or Hell, An End of EarlyMusic!” Also scheduled to appear at the

“Allegro” movement from Glen Shannon’s Trio Sonata No.1 in D Minor for 2 Recorders and ContinuoSound file: www.screamingmarymusic.com/media/mp3/4-TrioSonata2-live.mp3

Continued from page 45


HARM NIAO

June event are HendrikBouman and Matthias Maute,who will be playing some oftheir own compositions. In addition to the discus-

sion, Bouman has plans in thecomingmonths topremier sev-eral compo-sitions for avariety offormations:a duetto forrecorders, asonate foroboe, asonata for flute and continuo, apartita for flute solo, a Frenchcharacter piece for gamba andcontinuo, and several harpsi-chord and fortepiano pieces.Other upcoming events in theperiod music movement willbe the premiere in Osaka,Japan, of Michael Starke’sConcerto in G Major for Gui-tar and Chamber Orchestra,performed by guitarist YoshioMatsumoto. Also MiguelRobaina and David Jansson,with Les Musiciens l’îlot Royal,will be performing some oftheir Baroque works at anupcoming concert at Skarp-näck Church, Stockholm. New works are also on the

horizon, as Mark Moya hasbeen commissioned bySuzanne Ferguson, presidentof the Viola da Gamba Society of America, to write a new work for viol consort.And Bruce Haynes recentlycommissioned a period solosonata and suite for hautboy

(three-keyed oboe) and con-tinuo from Matthias Maute. Inthe fall of 2007, Glen Shan-non will submit a new workfor the Chicago RecorderSociety’s biennial contest. As

Shannonhumorouslyobserves,“My piecesalways con-tain a fugue,whichseems toimmediatelyidentify the‘anony-

mous’ submission as mine!”So, with all this in mind,

remember: the next time youfind yourself attending yourfavorite early music concert,before you complain to theperson next to you about thelength of the Adagio move-ment, there’s a chance thatthe composer may be sittingwithin earshot!

Grant Colburn has been drawn tothe harpsichord and Baroquemusic since hearing a recording ofIgor Kipnis while still in gradeschool. He began composingBaroque pieces for harpsichordwhen he was 14 and has writtenand self-published three completebooks of Baroque harpsichordmusic and a fourth book ofRenaissance instrumental pieces.He has been an active participantin the organization and promo-tion of Vox Sæculorum, a guild ofmodern Baroque composers, andlives in Green Bay, WI, where, inaddition to being a composer, heis a church musician, performer,and accompanist.

ROBERTO JOSE BANCALARI

Period Composition LinksVOX SAECULORUM www.voxsaeculorum.orgHENDRIK BOUMAN www.hendrikbouman.com MATTHIAS MAUTE www.matthiasmaute.comGRANT COLBURN www.angelfire.com/music7/renaissance/index.htmlTHE SCHARFFENECK COLLECTION

www.freewebs.com/scharffeneckTHE DELIAN SOCIETY

www.newmusicclassics.com/delian_society_roster.html

a new baroque revival: breaking through the final taboo baroque splendor. a new baroque revival:...

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