Hello, dear lutenist friends!
I hope all of you are healthy and safe and making the best of your
lockdown time.
I wanted to spread the word about a new online continuo class that
Prof. Joseph Gascho and I are offering. Iâd be grateful if youâd spend
a moment thinking about who might be interested in this and forwarding
them this message.
For those of you who donât know Joe, heâs an exceptionally gifted
harpsichordist and teacher, and very beloved of all of his students at
Univ. Michigan and elsewhere. He has been leading the evening continuo
class at Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute for some years now, and
I always make it habit to drop by the class during breaks in faculty
rehearsal. It always energizes after a long day me to see a room full
of singers and instrumentalists of various experience levels happily
engaging in the material and learning together (in the room are four
harpsichords facing a white board onto which music is projected, plus
lutes, theorbos, viols, etc.). When the âvirtualâ BPI happened a
couple of weeks ago, I offered to be Joeâs assistant for the class and
we had a blast doing it together on Zoom. Several people asked if weâd
keep it going, so weâre giving it a try.
This first class is an introduction to continuo that is appropriate for
both lutenists/keyboardists without extensive continuo experience, and
also for singers, string/wind players, and conductors. Itâs less a
figured bass class and more a holistic approach to continuo. Itâs also
interactive and FUN.
The tuition is just $100 USD but we can offer a couple of scholarships.
I donât believe the lute list server allows attachments, but [1]here is
a link to the course flyer. The text without the images is also pasted
below.
Thank you in advance for your help with this. If this is a success we
may offer more specialized classes in the future.
Onward!
Lucas Harris
Joseph Gascho and Lucas Harris
are pleased to announce
a two-week online course:
An Introduction to Basso Continuo
for all musicians
July 27 & 30, August 3 & 6
(Monday & Thursday evenings)
7:00-8:30pm Eastern Standard Time
Tuition: $100 USD / $135 CAD
(limited financial aid available)
Platform: Zoom
Studying basso continuo is one of the most effective ways to improve
your musicianship by deepening your knowledge of harmony. It combines
the concepts of music theory with the skills of practicing musicians,
providing a framework for interpreting Baroque & early Classical music.
Though some basics of figured bass are covered, this course takes a
more holistic view of basso continuo, considering how the parameters of
continuo realization adapt to the expression of each musical phrase.
Using clear and friendly instruction, we aim to engage with players of
melodic instruments (string & wind players), singers, and conductors,
in addition to lutenists and keyboard players.
Class topics:
July 27: The Impact of Basso Continuo:
Improving knowledge, musicianship, and performance
July 30: Becoming an Articulate Musician:
Tools for shaping bass and melodic lines
August 3: Whoâs Afraid of Parallel Fifths?
Rules and guidelines for correct & creative voice-leading and
realization
August 6: Collaborative Continuo Skills
Score preparation, rehearsal techniques, and the basso
continuo solfège system
All participants will receive access to a Google Drive library of basso
continuo resources.
Have questions? Please email us at: joseph.gascho[at]gmail.com /
lucasharris[at]live.ca
________________________________________
To sign up, please see payment and registration info here:
https://forms.gle/3J5Grw8x6GzLqWV27
________________________________________
Harpsichordist Joseph Gascho enjoys a multifaceted musical career as a
solo and collaborative keyboardist, conductor, teacher, and recording
producer. Recent performing highlights include concerts with the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, a solo
recital and masterclass for the Japan Harpsichord Society, and an
all-Bach program as guest conductor with Apollo's Fire, which he led
âwith energy, authority and a conducting technique that inspired the
musicians he led to perform at their highest level...finding the heart
of each piece from the outset, realizing fully the drama and emotion
that, in lesser hands, can often be lost (The Cleveland Plain Dealer)."
As associate professor of music at the University of Michigan School of
Music, Theatre & Dance, he teaches harpsichord, basso continuo, chamber
music, improvisation and ornamentation, and co-directs the Baroque
Chamber Orchestra. He was recently appointed Director of the Stearns
Collection of Musical Instruments.
Since 2008, Gascho has taught the highly successful basso continuo
class at Oberlin Conservatoryâs Baroque Performance Institute. For
this class, he has developed a large library of evolving examples and
exercises that use technological tools in practical, real-time
applications. With students ranging from beginners to professionals,
the class covers basic skills and advanced concepts in the broader
contexts of Baroque performance practice and complete musicianship.
________________________________________
Lucas Harris leads a busy freelancerâs life as a lutenist, conductor,
continuo player, teacher, lecturer, coach, researcher, and audio/video
editor. After graduating summa cum laude from Pomona College, Lucas
studied early music at the Civica scuola di musica di Milano (as a
scholar of the Marco Fodella Foundation) and at the Hochschule für
Künste Bremen. Since 2004 Harris is based in Toronto where he serves
as the regular lutenist for Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. He is a
founding member of the Vesuvius Ensemble (dedicated to Southern Italian
folk music) as well as the Lute Legends Ensemble (a multi-ethnic trio
of lute, pipa, and oud). Lucas serves as a continuo player with many
ensembles in Canada and the USA, and has worked in recent years with
the Helicon Foundation, the Smithsonian Chamber Players, Atalante, and
Les Délices.
Lucas teaches at the Tafelmusik Summer and Winter Baroque Institutes,
Oberlin Conservatoryâs Baroque Performance Institute, and the Canadian
Renaissance Music Summer School, and also served as vocal coach &
accompanist at Vancouver Early Musicâs Baroque Vocal Program. He has
taught basso continuo classes and directed projects for the New York
Continuo Collective as well as the Toronto Continuo Collective, a
sister organization which he founded. In 2014 Lucas completed graduate
studies in choral conducting at the University of Toronto. Upon
graduating, Lucas was chosen as the Artistic Director of the Toronto
Chamber Choir (which recently completed its 50th anniversary season),
for which he has created and conducted over twenty themed concert
programs. He has also directed projects for the Pacific Baroque
Orchestra, the Ohio State University Opera Program, Les voix baroques,
and the Toronto Consort. www.lucasharris.ca
--
References
1.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15BTcJUeTur0-BHhj7jgf9aY1UgzRyEPd/view?usp=sharing
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