How do you solve a problem like Vespetta?

TEMP’s Meredith Ruduski & Peter Walker in the roles of Vespetta and Pimpinone in 2012
(Photo by Zoe Weiss)

We had a fun and successful season-opener! Almost 2 weeks later and there are still ear-worms from the Alegría concert zinging through my head. Or is that my allergies? Hard to tell sometimes. Anyway, welcome to our Celebramus Season and welcome to the many new season subscribers—we’re glad to have you for our 20th anniversary season.

But, Vespetta, well: She’s something else! The heroine character from our upcoming Telemann opera concert is strong-willed, conniving, entertaining, obviously well-educated on a number of subjects, and makes Pimpinone’s heart go pitter-patter. He may be a nerdy bachelor with industrial strength pocket-protectors, but he has a few tricks up his sleeve as well. But, is this a match made in heaven, hell, or merely for the comedic intermezzi of 18th century Hamburg? Here’s a hint: the real title is Pimpinone, or The Unequal Marriage, or The Domineering Chambermaid! Telemann’s vocal music is singable and catchy and quite beautiful! See the full description below, but don’t miss Gitanjali Mathur and Peter Walker in the starring roles!

See you at the theatah!
-Danny

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How to Marry a millionaire (c. 1725)

Saturday, November 3, 2018, at  7:30 pm
and
Sunday, November 4, 2018, 3:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church, 8001 Mesa Drive, Austin, TX

Admission $30 general; $25 seniors (60+); $5 students (at the door only)
Tickets available in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.

Take advantage of preferred seating by purchasing Season Tickets by clicking the button below or at the venue door through November 4!

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message,
or email info@early-music.org.

Georg Philipp Telemann’s short comic opera Pimpinone: The Unequal Marriage Between Vespetta and Pimpinone or The Domineering Chambermaid, written in 1725, is hilarious, touching, prophetic, and beautiful.

The interplay between the two characters, Vespetta and Pimpinone, is hilarious both in the witty dialogues and duets and in the acrobatic arias; the more intimate arias in which each separately explores inner fears and desires are tender and heartfelt. How can an opera be prophetic, one might ask? In at least two ways, actually: First, one of Pimpinone’s songs foreshadows Papageno’s “Pa, pa, pa, Papagena” from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, written 66 years later. It uses the one syllable motive “Pim, pim, pim…” The second way the opera is prophetic is the feminization of his own name, “Pimpinona.” Mozart knew a clever idea when he heard it!

The subtitle gives an idea of the nature of the plot. It is a story that has been told often in theater, opera, movies, and television sit-coms: Pimpinone is a wealthy but homely bachelor while Vespetta is a clever and attractive chambermaid looking for a rich boss (soon-to-be-husband.) Guess who marries whom and guess who is in control of the marriage! The arias expertly define the personalities of the characters: Vespetta’s arias are flirty and saucy and become more complex as her station in life elevates. Pimpinone’s arias are tender and heartfelt, yet also very funny. The orchestral music is delightfully sophisticated with brilliantly written imitations of vocal lines and stunningly complimentary countermelodies.

Early music stars from around the USA join TEMP’s Austin regulars for this entertaining and virtuosic music. TEMP core-member Gitanjali Mathur (soprano) sings the role of Vespetta and New York’s Peter Walker (baritone) portrays the put-upon title character in this performance, set in current times and fully staged, and with supertitles for easy comprehension of the comedy and pathos. The accompanying period-instrument ensemble includes violinists Anna Griffis (Boston) and Bruce Colson (Austin), violist Bruce Williams (Austin), and cellist Jane Leggiero (Cleveland), Scott Horton (theorbo), and Austin newcomer Donald Livingston on harpsichord. We will also feature a couple of Telemann’s fantasies for solo flute, performed by traverso master Marcus McGuff.

Join us for intimate, expressive, and comedic chamber music at its most beautiful and most entertaining!

Click on the image above to buy tickets now!

Read All of This! School has started!

There's gonna be a pop quiz on it all!

August, you are the cruelest month, are you not? On the other hand, we know straight away what you're going to bring us, so maybe that's the wrong adjective. Anyway, during August we performed for the Public Radio Content Conference and brought them some live medieval music to get their day off to a good start—and to celebrate KMFA's Sara Schneider: her Ancient Voices/Early Music Now program has gone national, with several stations broadcasting her excellent program! Congrats, Sara!

And the 20 for 20 Campaign is still percolating along: Thanks for the support!

And now it's finally September! I can almost smell the pumpkin stout, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pancakes...right? Any day now! It's all just around the corner! No more weeks on end of 100°F+, right!?!?!? Cool days, cooler nights, amiright? Please say yes...

Maestro Daniel Johnson explains ensaladas, pieces that are featured on our Alegría: The Spanish Renaissance program. See more videos on our Gallery page!

Ok, I might live in dreamlandia, but we'll finally have a concert in a few weeks to kick off the 20th Season Anniversary, and it's one of my favorite themes, topped by the incredible ensaladas by Mateo Flecha. These are little epics,  illustrated with music in many different styles to fit the different texts; Señor Flecha knew what he was doing. La Justa (The Joust) is new to us and maybe to you! It tells the story of a tournament—a joust between good and evil, the light and the dark. You'll have to come to the concert to find out if that means Gandalf vs. Sauron, or Dumbledore vs. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, or maybe some other featured jousters! And there is much alegría throughout the concert!

Enjoy these audio teasers from our 2013 performances:

Voldemort! There. I said it!
-Danny

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Alegría: The Spanish Renaissance

Saturday, September 22, 2018, at  7:30 pm
Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2111 Alexander Avenue, Austin, TX

Sunday, September 23, 2018, 3:00 pm,
St. Martin's Lutheran Church, 606 West 15th Street, Austin, TX

Admission $30 general; $25 seniors (60+); $5 students (at the door only)
Tickets available in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message,
or email info@early-music.org.

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Seriously? There are ensaladas on this concert?!?
Usually, if you want an ensalada, you go to a restaurant, not a concert, AMIRIGHT?

Not so fast, my friend! These ensaladas are a treat for the ears and the spirit, but have nothing to do with the delectable edible! Like most salads, they are created from a little of this and little of that, but that’s where the similarity ends. Filled with drama, Biblical quotations, exhortations, lovely melodies, and lots of humor, the ensaladas are toe-tappers from beginning to end! They were extraordinarily popular in many of the Cathedrals of Renaissance Spain—and were even banned in a few!

For a more solemn contrast, our program will explore some of the glorious wealth of polyphonic sacred music from the cathedrals and monasteries of 16th-century Spain, a repertoire that has served as inspiration for fans of choral music everywhere, with selections by Morales, Ceballos, and Peñalosa.

Other pieces in the concert feature the viol consort, led by our guest artist and viola da gamba star Wendy Gillespie, guest percussionist Peter Maund, and 3 sackbut (early trombone) players, led by University of Texas trombone faculty member Nathaniel Brickens.

Soloists and featured singers include Jenifer Thyssen, Gitanjali Mathur, Laura Mercado-Wright, Cayla Cardiff, Jeffrey Jones Ragona, David Lopez, Tim O’Brien, and featured countertenor, Ryland Angel.

¡Bailamos!

Click on the image above to buy tickets now!

Celebramus...

...We're almost legal!

It has been brought to my attention, dear readers, that I haven't written a blog for April yet, so let me rectify that! Oh wait, maybe I mean May. Oops, I definitely mean June. What? July, too? Hmmm...see, I have this problem with time... So, since I can't fill in all the blank spaces between mid-March and early August, let me just thank everyone for support for our Amplify Austin campagin and for our April and May concerts. They were fun and successful, and the Complaints concert even garnered Critics Table nominations, along with our infamous It's About Time concert. (By the way, Jenifer Thyssen and Bruce Colson won awards for TEMP concerts at the ceremony—congratulations to them!) 

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Texas Toot Faculty 2018

Let's see, what else has happened? The early June Texas Toot Early Music Workshop at Concordia was successful and the Amherst Early Music Workshop, which took up almost all of July, was huge, successful, and exhausting/ exhilarating. Several current and past TEMP members took part in the Amherst workshop as faculty and staff and it seemed like old home month. 

Ok, that's definitely all that's happened in the last ... oh, there's more, you say? You're right! There have been two additions to the TEMP family! Frequent guest and may-as-well-move-here mezzo, Erin Calata, and husband, Dom, welcomed a baby boy, Dylan, in June! AND local wonder and TEMP Operations Coordinator, Meredith Ruduski, and husband, Stephen, are now the proud parents of young Stephen William Ruduski, born at the end of July! Congratulations and wishes for the occasional full-night's sleep to all the parents! 

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Of course I won't end this post until I mention the upcoming season (our 20th!) and the accompanying 20 for 20 fundraiser! We are, indeed, trying to raise an extra $20K to help create the foundation for 20 *more* years for TEMP. As music becomes increasingly important in our lives and necessary for our culture, we want TEMP to be here for a very long time. In our 20th Anniversary Season, we’ll reflect on our journey through time as an ensemble, giving a nod or two to our 1998-1999 season, while looking to the future and to even more adventurous projects. 

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TEMP Then...

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TEMP Now...

Our 20th season has Alegría (joy), comedy, remarkable Christmas music, poignant and evocative Celtic music, amazing Tudor music, and heart-stopping chant by Hildegard von Bingen! Season subscriptions are already on sale and there's at least 6 reasons to join us as a subscriber! Get your season subscriptions now! Single tickets are also available online by clicking on the tickets buttons on the 2018-2019 Season page!

More details in the next few weeks! No, really!

-Danny

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For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message, or email info@early-music.org.

Éirinn Go Brách, Y'all!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Check out the pretty unusual Irish selections on our Celtic Trinity and Celtic Knot CDs! And of course, after St Patrick's Day, you can listen to the Scottish and Breton music as well, completely guiltlessly!

Most TEMP CDs are $21 USD and include free shipping within the U.S. Shipping charges will apply to international orders.

Have a wee listen to a couple of audio samples below. Click on the  CD images to hear more and to purchase CDs!

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light.
May good luck pursue you each morning and night!
Danny

Who knows where the thyme goes?

Oh, and we're out of milk, too ...

Firstly, I offer my sincere apologies: I meant to write this blog earlier this week, but ever since the time change I have been trying to make up for that MIA hour. You'd think I would get used to it at some point. . . 

Anyway, it's been a far busier first-quarter year than we are used to, with lots of school and outreach concerts in January, a huge and unusual and unique concert in February, and lots of grant applications in anticipation of our 20th season next year.  And then there was the Amplify Austin campaign in March. Yay!!

THANKS SO MUCH to all who donated to support our planned recording of the original Carmina Burana repertoire! We've raised more than $8K for that project and need to raise a bit more to go before we can proceed, but it's in our plans! 

Also in our plans: This Sunday (March 18 at 7:00pm) we have another outreach concert, this time for the residents at Westminster! And up next is the concert in which we get to tell it like it really is. Yes, the Complaints concert! It's a funny (and fun) concept, but the music is strikingly beautiful and oftentimes bittersweet—except for when we're just being grumpy! See all the details below and buy your tickets now for this musical kvetch-fest!

Beware the Ides of March!
-Danny

Complaints Through The Ages

 7:00 pm, Saturday, April 21, 2018
Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2111 Alexander Avenue, Austin, TX

3:00 pm, Sunday, April 22, 2018
First Presbyterian Church, 8001 Mesa Drive, Austin, TX

Admission $30 general; $25 seniors (60+); $5 students (at the door only)
Tickets available in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message,
or email info@early-music.org.

“I am, therefore I complain.” Humans have always had things to complain about, ranging from life-threatening, quality-of-life issues to conjured or superficial annoyances that simply don’t fit into the notion of what a good day should hold. Our musical exploration of complaining has an eclectic array of music from Medieval times through the Baroque: Scottish Ballads, French chansons, Dowland madrigals, powerful selections from passionate Italians (Monteverdi, Carissimi, and Sances) and more. Lots of beauty, some sadness (maybe a few tears in those complaints) and quite a few laughs! With guest Ryland Angel (countertenor), and more!

Click on the image above to buy tickets now!

It’s About Time for a Blog from Danny

Howdy! I might be in the minority, but I've sorta enjoyed these extra-chilly patches we've had lately (firmly knowing they were merely 'patches' and not the new constant normal.) 

A'lante Flemenco's Juana: First (I) Dream accompanied by members of Texas Early Music Project

Anyway, it was a really busy and rewarding December, with lots of concerts with lots of friends, and January has been busier than usual with our collaboration with A'lante Flamenco at the Rollins Theater (read the Austin Chronicle review here!)—that was so much fun and educational at the same time. We also had school concerts at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and an upcoming one at the Armstrong Community Music School on Jan. 28, 2018. 

And all during this (and for the last year, actually) we've been working busily on our upcoming concert/theatrical concert It's About Time: Companions. Though it might be difficult to explain in a sentence or two, it is chock full of beautiful music from about 1200-1900, along with a healthy dose of music from 2017-2018 written/arranged by me. It's modern, yes, but hardly "shocking." The key phrase that describes the production is: "All it takes is 1 song to bring back 1,000 memories." I'm sure you know what I mean; I hear a couple of chords from the early Beatles, and I'm immediately transported to my hometown, our little house, the multitude of emotions from the teen years. So expand that by music from several centuries and imagine the possibilities!

Toni Bravo

We are collaborating with popular Austin dancer Toni Bravo, who will be providing some historical dance for our singers to learn, and she will be dancing in a few pieces as well. See the more complete description for IATime below! Bring friends! 

More soon! Happy New Year!

-Danny

It's About Time: Companions

 7:00 pm, Saturday, February 10, 2018
3:00 pm, Sunday, February 11, 2018
University Presbyterian Church, 2203 San Antonio Street, Austin, TX

Admission $30 general; $25 seniors (60+); $5 students (with valid ID at the door only)
Tickets available in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message,
or email info@early-music.org.

Expect the unexpected as we explore the musical and theatrical dreamscape a girl who dreams of encountering her love in different times and places throughout history.

The centerpiece of its 2017-18 season, Texas Early Music Project’s staged concert (with historical dances choreographed by Toni Bravo) features a celebration of Western music from its earliest days through the instruments, voices, campfires, cathedrals, palaces, and concert halls over the past 10 centuries.

Twenty-three singers and twelve instrumentalists perform music by twenty different composers, with Anonymous being well-represented through the centuries. Sometimes seemingly disparate composers are juxtaposed, as are musical genres: 19th-century Bizet with 16th-century Sephardic, 18th-century J.S. Bach with 1940s Americana, and much more.

The concert will feature numerous talented musicians, mostly Austin-area TEMP members, with a few others coming in just for this, including New York singers Ryland Angel (countertenor), Peter Walker (bass), and Seattle-based mezzo Erin Calata.

Join Texas Early Music Project for a musical journey through time and a dreamer's journey throughout history!

Click on the image above to buy tickets now!

The post-Thanksgiving, post-Blagh Fridaegh blog

Yes, I indeed missed my opportunity to write a blog last Friday and call it Blog Friday, but it just couldn't be helped. Here we go, though: The Early Christmas concert is just less than two weeks away. Say that slooooowly and try to avoid hyperventilating. It hasn't worked for me; maybe it will for you. 

Our Christmas concerts offer a multiplicity of delicious music from diverse styles from diverse traditions and diverse musical eras. The upcoming one (in just less than two weeks away—did I mention that?) stays in that mold with some new elements and some that we haven't performed in so long, they seem like they're new! In honor of all this diversity of style, etc., we're using a new word to describe the concert: Multilicious! Feel free to use it. Give us credit.

Read the full program description and listen to audio teasers below. 

We hope to see you at one of our multilicious Early Christmas concerts! Buy tickets now because they often sell out! 

-Danny

An Early Christmas

7:00 pm, Friday, December 8, 2017
First English Lutheran Church, 3001 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX

 7:00 pm, Saturday, December 9, 2017
First English Lutheran Church, 3001 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX

3:00 pm, Sunday, December 10, 2017
First Presbyterian Church, 8001 Mesa Drive, Austin, TX

Admission $30 general; $25 seniors (60+); $5 students (at the door only)
Tickets available in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message,
or email info@early-music.org.

Join Texas Early Music Project for a multilicious feast of Christmas music through the ages. People in different cultures across the centuries have celebrated this season of expectation and rebirth with sweet Dutch lullabies and joyous English carols, rousing Spanish villancicos and dulcet French noëls, Celtic cradle-songs and exuberant folk-tunes.

We’ve chosen pieces ranging from Medieval Spain and England to Baroque France and Germany and beyond, encompassing more than 500 years of humanity’s hope, love, and joy. TEMP puts its distinctive stamp on the intangible essence and passion of Christmas, with arrangements for solo voices, small chorus, harp, violin, flute, mandolin, viols, and lute.

Enjoy these audio teasers from our CDs Gaudete: An Early Christmas and Swete was the Songe:

Enjoy more selections from Noël: An Early Christmas and Stella splendens: An Early Music Christmas.

Brett Barnes, Cayla Cardiff, Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, Stephanie Prewitt, Meredith Ruduski, and Jenifer Thyssen are featured soloists, and nationally acclaimed historical harpist Therese Honey joins TEMP's troupe of solo voices, small chorus, violin, flute, mandolin, viols, and lute.

Join Texas Early Music Project for a splendid and enriching evening of music. Encompassing 500 years of festive creativity and beauty, this music is sure to delight your ears and warm your heart. And you can use our new word, multilicious!

Click on the image above to buy tickets now!

Septemb... oops, October Song

Ah. The first almost chilly morning of the season. It seems like a long time since we've heard from you, old friend Winter. . . .

September and early October passed like a whirlwind, since, due to scheduling conflicts galore, our first two concerts of the season were only 3 weeks apart. Both Paris City Limits: Part Deux and 24 Italian Hits were fun and challenging; the performers rose to the occasion in both cases! Beautiful music (and some well-earned laughs in the case of 24 Italian Hits) were abundant. 

If you were to look at the season concert schedule, you might think that we will spend November just sitting on the couch, eating bonbons. In reality, we have two small concerts in College Station and Georgetown and the Texas Toot Early Music Workshop to keep us busy, to say nothing of planning & arranging for the Christmas concert and the rest of this ambitious season. Both of the run-out concerts (see details below) will be small versions of the Paris City Limits concert, with some added Medieval music for the concert at Southwestern in G'town. Please let your friends in these towns know about us!

The Texas Toot workshop, near Palestine, is still accepting applicants, both amateur and semi-professional, who want to study recorder, harp, lute, viols, and/or voice. It's in a lovely setting and is a good way to spend the weekend before Thanksgiving.

More in a couple of weeks about the Christmas concert and the remainder of our 19th season! Also, our new CD, Paris City Limits, 2016, from the 2015-2016 Paris City Limits concert will be available to purchase at the concerts and is now available for purchase online!

-Danny

Paris City Limits: c.1550

November 14, 2017 at 7:30pm
Sarofim Music Series: Texas Early Music Project
Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center
1001 E University Ave
Georgetown, TX 78626
Buy Tickets Online
Adults: $12.00; Seniors Over 63: $10.00
Students: $5.00 with identification

Sunday, November 12 at 6:30 p.m.
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
906 George Bush Drive,
College Station, TX 77840
Tickets $10/ $5 Students, at the door

TEMP visits Paris and environs to explore more of the popular music from the mid-16th century: exciting dances, dazzling chansons, and genuine songs of love and melancholy by the masters and by some relative unknowns.

There will be intimate chansons which deal with scenes of daily life: lovesickness, marital arguments, romantic friskiness, and more, with exhilarating Breton dances to balance the fare.

Fourteen of TEMP’s singers will perform Janequin’s spectacular musical chanson about the birds (Le chant des oyseaux). The 7 instrumentalists will perform on violins, viols, harp, recorder, percussion, and lute.

Enjoy the audio teasers from our Paris City Limits, 2016 CD below and download the College Station program notes here (G'town notes will be similar)!

Venez, y’all!