Archive

Remembering George Malcolm (harpsichordist, organist & conductor) 1917 – 1997

For several decades, the harpsichordist George Malcolm was famous for playing the “jangle box”, as he called it. He was important in introducing many people to the sound of the harpsichord, even though his interpretations may now seem outdated. He played for many years with Yehudi Menuhin, and made recordings with Julian Bream and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. This post is to announce the launch of a comprehensive commemorative website. […]

Frans Brüggen: the early years (1942–1959), with his teacher Kees Otten

Frans Brüggen was about 8 years old when he got his first recorder lessons from his brother Hans. His next, and only, other teacher was Kees Otten, with whom he started playing professionally after he passed his exams. This post covers Brüggen’s early years, up to his first contact with Gustav Leonhardt. […]

A pioneer of the British lute revival, now aged 94, recalls his early days

Apart from making instruments such as the Renaissance guitar, vihuela, cittern, orpharion, French mandore, viola de mano and bandora (including one for James Tyler), and playing all of the above, Donald Gill also wrote two small books and contributed authoritative articles to the Galpin Society Journal, the Lute Society Journal and Grove. […]

The funeral of Gustav Leonhardt, 24 January 2012: a short report for those who could not attend.

The funeral of Gustav Leonhardt, 24 January 2012: a short report for those who could not attend. […]

Charles Thornton Lofthouse, the first person to play a harpsichord in the Royal Albert Hall

The fascinating musical life of Charles Thornton Lofthouse, a piano student of Alfred Cortot and a noted continuo player who taught the harpsichord at the Royal College of Music from 1934. […]

Arnold Dolmetsch remembered

Arnold Dolmetsch remembered, by his wife, Mabel. A blog post on this book, from 1957, highlighting aspects of the life of this great “early music” pioneer. […]

Baroque orchestra, La Petite Bande, loses vital funding

Despite having amassed almost twenty thousand signatures on an internet-based petition, Sigiswald Kuijken’s baroque orchestra, La Petite Bande, has been definitively told that it will receive no more money from the Belgian government. […]

Alfred Deller, 100 years on, and what a lot has changed.

Alfred Deller was born on May 31, 1912 in the seaside town of Margate, in Kent, England and died on July 16, 1979 while on holiday in Bologna, Italy.

Alfred Deller can truly be called a pioneer of early music, developing his own voice and taking it to the public sphere in […]

Frans Brüggen on Gustav Leonhardt

This is a translated extract from a 1971 interview, in which Frans Brüggen was asked to explain the “phenomenon Gustav Leonhardt”. It also includes details of a very extensive tribute by an eminent former student and some interesting links relating to Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach (including an interview with Leonhardt himself) . […]

“A Long and Beautiful Life”: A tribute to Gustav Leonhardt by Ton Koopman

“A Beautiful Life”: A tribute to Gustav Leonhardt by Ton Koopman […]