Baroque Strings, a new online teaching resource developed by the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM), alongside leading players of baroque music from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE), explores the style and interpretation of 18th-century music for violin, viola and cello. It is designed especially for advanced students (grade 6 and above) and their teachers who are interested in historically informed interpretations of music from the first half of the eighteenth century. Made possible by funding from Youth Music, Baroque Strings is available free from www.ncem.co.uk/baroquestrings.
Baroque Strings was developed as part of a project funded by Youth Music. Written by Cathryn Dew (NCEM) and Cecelia Bruggemeyer (OAE), and featuring Helen Kruger (violin), Nicholas Logie (viola), Ruth Alford (‘cello) and Joe McHardy (harpsichord), the resource includes video clips of players performing the music and talking about some of the challenges of its interpretation. It suggests bowing exercises, and also looks at phrasing, left-hand fingering, vibrato and ornamentation.
Movements from Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Violin, his Suites for Solo ‘Cello and Telemann’s G major Concerto for Viola, are used by the players to explore ways to create a baroque sound - with both historical instruments and modern instruments and bows.
