Studio der frühen Musik
Encyclopedia
Studio der frühen Musik was an early music
group active from 1960–1980 and based in Munich
.
The leader of the group was Thomas Binkley
, and the activity of the group coincided with the years he was teaching at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
. Core members f the group were Binkley, (lute), Sterling Jones (vielle), Andrea von Ramm (1928-1999) (mezzo-soprano, rebec, hurdy-gurdy and harp), who had previously organised an earlier Studio der Frühen Musik in Cologne
. To these three members were added a male singer; first the tenors Nigel Rogers
1960-1964, then Willard Cobb 1964-1970, and Richard Lewitt (counter-tenor) 1970-1979. The activity of the group ceased when Binkley returned to America to found the Early Music Institute at Bloomington, Indiana
in 1979.
An important predessor was New York Pro Musica
, founded 1952 by Noah Greenberg (1919-1966)
. But Studio der frühen Musik produced a "radically different sound" anticipated other ensembles such as the Early Music Consort of London of David Munrow
and Christopher Hogwood
(founded 1967, disbanded in 1976 following Munrow's death), and the Clemencic Consort founded in 1969 by recorder player René Clemencic
. The end of Studio der frühen Musik's activity coincided with the watershed in medieval performance moving to a cappella
performance typified by Gothic Voices
founded by Christopher Page
in 1980.
Early music
Early music is generally understood as comprising all music from the earliest times up to the Renaissance. However, today this term has come to include "any music for which a historically appropriate style of performance must be reconstructed on the basis of surviving scores, treatises,...
group active from 1960–1980 and based in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
The leader of the group was Thomas Binkley
Thomas Binkley
Thomas Binkley was an American lutenist and early music scholar.Thomas Eden Binkley studied at the University of Illinois and the University of Munich . He taught at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel...
, and the activity of the group coincided with the years he was teaching at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis is a music academy and research institution located in Basel, Switzerland, and focusing on early music and historically informed performance....
. Core members f the group were Binkley, (lute), Sterling Jones (vielle), Andrea von Ramm (1928-1999) (mezzo-soprano, rebec, hurdy-gurdy and harp), who had previously organised an earlier Studio der Frühen Musik in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. To these three members were added a male singer; first the tenors Nigel Rogers
Nigel Rogers
Nigel David Rogers is an English tenor, conductor, and teacher, who has made numerous recordings, mostly of early music.A native of Wellington, Shropshire, Rogers studied at King's College, Cambridge from 1953–1956, in Rome in 1957, in Milan from 1958–1959, and with Gerhard Hüsch at the Munich...
1960-1964, then Willard Cobb 1964-1970, and Richard Lewitt (counter-tenor) 1970-1979. The activity of the group ceased when Binkley returned to America to found the Early Music Institute at Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
in 1979.
An important predessor was New York Pro Musica
New York Pro Musica
New York Pro Musica was a vocal and instrumental ensemble that specialized in Medieval and Renaissance early music. It was co-founded in 1952, under the name Pro Musica Antiqua, by Noah Greenberg, a choral director, and Bernard Krainis, a recorder player who studied with Erich Katz.The ensemble is...
, founded 1952 by Noah Greenberg (1919-1966)
Noah Greenberg
Noah Greenberg was an American choral conductor.In 1937, aged 18, Greenberg joined the Socialist Workers Party of Max Schachtman, and worked as a lathe operator and party activist. He lost work-related draft deferment in 1944 and joined the U.S. Merchant Marine till 1949. By this time he had lost...
. But Studio der frühen Musik produced a "radically different sound" anticipated other ensembles such as the Early Music Consort of London of David Munrow
David Munrow
David Munrow was a British musician and early music historian.- Biography and career :Munrow was born in Birmingham and was the son of Birmingham University dance teacher Hilda Norman Munrow and Albert Davis 'Dave' Munrow, a Birmingham University lecturer and physical education instructor who...
and Christopher Hogwood
Christopher Hogwood
Christopher Jarvis Haley Hogwood CBE, MA , HonMusD , born 10 September 1941, Nottingham, is an English conductor, harpsichordist, writer and musicologist, well known as the founder of the Academy of Ancient Music.-Biography:...
(founded 1967, disbanded in 1976 following Munrow's death), and the Clemencic Consort founded in 1969 by recorder player René Clemencic
René Clemencic
René Clemencic is an Austrian composer, recorder player, harpsichordist, conductor and clavichord player.-Compositions:* Meraviglia 1969* Missa Mundi mass in Latin, for five voices and orchestra...
. The end of Studio der frühen Musik's activity coincided with the watershed in medieval performance moving to a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
performance typified by Gothic Voices
Gothic Voices
Gothic Voices is a United Kingdom based vocal ensemble specialising in repertoire from the 11th to the 15th century. The group was formed in 1981 by scholar and musician Christopher Page....
founded by Christopher Page
Christopher Page
Christopher Page is an expert on medieval music, instruments and performance practice. He has written seven books regarding medieval music...
in 1980.