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 To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html