Strings Bach and strange instruments

Tenor Viol

Full of frets in Cumbria
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Penrith, Cumbria, UK
Level
Ca. G7 cello, G6 sax
I was the organiser of a concert last week - a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion with period instrument orchestra. The concert was fab (weather notwithstanding) but we had some splendid instruments.


  • Wooden baroque flutes, which were very nice
  • baroque oboes - video here
  • Oboe da caccia - this is a weird beast, sounds a fifth lower than an oboe - look here; video here
  • Oboe d'amore - not quite as weird - here - only a third lower
  • Baroque strings
  • Harpsichord
  • ... and a bass viol played by the cello continuo player in one of the bass arias - video here

However, the most sublime was probably David Lewis on baroque violin playing Erbame dich

It's a long concert though - we started at 7pm and with a 20 minute interval at 8.15 we finished just before 10, somewhat cold as medieval cathedrals are not generally known for their heating...

Here's a picture from the concert. Those who know me and who have very good eyesight might be able to work out where I am...
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No, that would by our Music Director...

I saw that video of the oboe da caccia, but I chose the one playing one of the items in the Bach where it is featured.
 
Good news OG, noI don't! The St. Matthew doesn't have any brass at all, unlike the B minor Mass or the Christmas Oratorio. My first encounter with natural horns was the B minor Mass - player has a box with what looks liek a pile of plumbing parts - a series of coils (crooks) of tubing, a different one for each key.
 
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