Strings Bach and strange instruments

[Tenor Viol]

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...

 

[Ivan]

Very interesting look at these instruments ta... a better view of the oboe da caccia is here

 

[Ivan]

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...

Oooooh Oh Ohh... are you the Go Compare chappie mounting the podium?

 

[Tenor Viol]

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.

 

[old git]

There was a TV programme on J.S. and a trumpet was featured alongside other baroque instruments which had a left hand slide that worked rearwards compared with normal sackbuts which are right hand operated and forward.

Please do not tell me you have one as I can't afford it..

 

[Tenor Viol]

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.

 

[old git]

Must have been a very long crook as he played two notes, one immediately following the other with the crook fully inserted for the first and extended for the second. Bit like a save your gelt Bb/F slush pump.