November 2021 class registration
On Saturday November 13, 2021 from 1:00-4:30, the VdGS-NE presents its next special topics workshop. We will have two presentations: “Twilight Music: Abel’s Pembroke Sonatas” presented by Arnie Tanimoto and “Figured Bass on Viol” presented by James Perretta.
Class descriptions:
Twilight Music: 1:00-2:30pm (Arnie Tanimoto)
Carl Friedrich Abel was one of the last viol masters of the 18th century. In this class we will explore one of his gorgeous Pembroke Sonatas. Although they are not as virtuosic or extensive as his celebrated unaccompanied pieces, they offer an opportunity for an in-depth exploration of the humor and sentimentality often underlooked in music of the Gallant style. Players will have a chance to work on both the solo viol part and/or the bass line as we deconstruct the music to work out stylistic and technical issues. A score will be sent out ahead of time so that participants can familiarize themselves with the music and play along, as they please. For advanced players; others may play continuo or audit.
Intro to Figured Bass: 3:00-4:30pm (James Perretta)
Playing continuo on the viol gives us access to a unique sonic landscape–we can play full chords while still producing the rich, sustained sound of a bowed bass instrument. Learning to play from figured bass is an excellent place to start on the road towards becoming your own one-person continuo band! In this workshop, we’ll work on developing this skill in the following phases:
- Learning the figures: We’ll start by walking through what the different figures in figured bass tell us about what notes we can add.
- Cadences and useful chord shapes: We’ll discuss and practice common patterns that we can use for cadences. We’ll also introduce a few easily overlooked but very useful chord shapes for general situations.
- Musical examples: A large portion of the workshop will be dedicated to working through musical examples. Using phrases from vocal and instrumental music (by Caccini and Marais, to name a few), we’ll work through the figured bass lines, discuss our options and the tradeoffs, and of course play our very own newly-created, fully realized continuo parts!
For upper intermediate-advanced players; auditors welcome.
Pitch: A=415. Both classes are aimed for upper intermediate to advanced players of bass viol, but players at all levels and of other sizes are welcome to audit.
For more information please consult the Workshop Flyer.
The fee for the workshop is $15 per class for members and $20 per class for non-members. You can take either or both classes completely à la carte. If you indicate on the signup form that you would like to join the society, your first year’s membership will be free! And you will get the second class at the member rate if you choose to take it. If this poses a challenge for you, contact our treasurer. The registration deadline is November 8.
Zoom links and musical examples will be emailed to participants upon successful registration.