How I came to love all things early music
I cant believe I am blogging at this insane hour, but I cant sleep. So here goes…
My love of early music probably happened before I even knew it. I was about 12, and listening to the classical music radio station. We were on holidays, and I remember they said it was Handel and I remember loving it. The next day, it was the Talis Scholars, and that was even more moving. I don’t know why, but it touched something deep inside.
I also remember thinking that was playing music by someone called Bach, and heart his music also. But the real passion began in high school. During my final few years, I studied privately with a music teacher. He was probably the best one I ever had as he understood my blindness, and also my hearing issues. I have fond memories of him turning up the jazz extremely loud, so the vibrations could be felt through the floor. And I remember putting my ear up to the stereo, while it played Bach harpsichord suites at almost unbearable levels for most.
But this teacher wanted to foster that passion that he knew was there 5 years earlier when he taught me piano for a few lessons. He also lent me cd’s. All sorts of music, from Mozart, and even Mahler which I hated. We went to the odd concert too… Such fond memories and I will thank him one day if I even see them again. Don’t ever think you aren’t makinimpact on your students, because you probably are. It’s just that as a kid it’s hard to express it!
Anyway, mn year 10 I started learning flute and my flute teacher loved early music. She gave a recording of the Bach ortestral suites on period instruments. I was blown away, and also loved it, because unlike the modern strings, I can hear these perfectly. I asked for more, and I heard the Bach flute sonatas on baroque flute.
Then I heard an interview by Rinehard Google, and I was hooked! I started saving, and my dad started buying cd’s from the classical music shop of period instrument performances. Then I started listening to more of the TaliScholars, branched out to many more different groups and before I knew it, I had almost 1000 cd’s of early music alone!
Recently, I read some articles on a website that I found because I was up late one night. I decided to google “authentic performance practice baroque” as my friend gave me some finis for thought, and I wanted to research it. I found www.baroquemusic.org and was once again blown away.
My passion is renewed and I’ve started listening to recordings of music from 1200 to about 1800.
And with that, I am going to leave you all to discover for yourself the world of early music. Just try a few recordings, and see what you think. You may come to love it like I have.