13 - 15 March 2026
Robert Dow (1553-1588) started copying music into his partbooks around 1581. They are a unique source of Tudor music in many respects. Dow was a trained calligrapher and wrote down the music very clear and easy to read. He assembled pieces by the most prominent composers of his time: William Byrd, Alfonso Ferrabosco, Robert Parsons, Thomas Tallis, Christopher Tye, Robert White and many others.
Most pieces are 5-part vocal music but obviously music from partbooks was needed by instrumental consort players in a private setting. The first instrument that comes to mind is the viol, but also flutes and recorders are well suited.
As always we provide the music some month before, this time in facsimile only. You should be able to read g, f, and c-clefs.There is a consort of matched recorders (17 instruments after the consort instruments in Vienna), flutes at high pitch and tenor viols, which we'll be using.
They are at a higher pitch of 458 Hz and therefore need a smaller stretch from players with little hands. There is a limit of five participants for the class. We work on Friday from 4:00 - 8:00 and the other days from 10:00 – 6:00 in Bochumer Straße, 10555 Berlin-Tiergarten.
Price: € 240,-.
