CLAVIERS BAROQUES Friends and Links -- updated/verified April 30, 2011

Shortcut to what's -est -- the Petrucci Music Library! "Our goal is to create a virtual library containing all public domain music, as well as music from composers who are willing to share their work with the world without charge." The stats to date: 37,396 works · 91,812 scores · 2,052 recordings · 5,417 composers · 76 performers -- surely you can find something you like.

Ah, ah! They're talking about us! Testimonials...

• -- Just another day in the life of Den Ciul, Fortepiano Meister ©! This tuning we did on a rush basis for a recording (um, we got called in b/c the regular piano tuner was flummoxed by the Graf...). I mean, *really* rush. We got the call Sunday night at 9pm and were there for 9am Mon morning. Tues we were up at 5am to be there (Hamilton) at 7am so everything would be tuned and dandy for 9am recording start. Paul Marelyn, cello, and Frédéric Lacroix on a lovely fortepiano after Graf by Rod Regier (isn't it a beauty?), recording some lovely Mendelsohn sonatas for cello and piano. We will post info on the CD's when they are available. This is wonderful music, rarely heard and even more rarely recorded. And a fortepiano is *just* the partner for the cello in this music! Kirk Starkey is the producer, and this is what he said about us (ahem and blush)
  
  

  From: Kirk Starkey
  To: Claviers Baroques Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 2:53 PM
  Subject: Re: F'po tuning for Tues am -- confirmation
  Dear Dawn and Den,
  
  The artists were totally thrilled with your work, the Graf sounded even better on Tuesday and held its pitch right until the end.
  
  Thanks for your time, travel and expertise and we look forward to working together again. I will send you a CD once the edits and balance is complete. Thanks for mailing out the invoices.
  
  Sincerely,
  Kirk
  (905) 525-3171
  

• From a service call on a very nice Dowd double here in Toronto:

  From: <robert.c@mumblemumble.ca>
  To: "Claviers Baroques" <den@claviersbaroques.com>
  
  Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 9:29 PM
  Subject: Re: Dowd - Invoice for your files
  
  Dawn - Thank you, and thank both of you for coming out. It is playing beautifully
  
  Robert

• Musicians and presenters -- the ones with stars have used our instruments

• Academy Concert Series, * Toronto
• Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields * based in London England
• Allison Cameron, composer * Toronto
• Andrew Mah, Guitarist from Ottawa, possibly the best guitarist on earth. Check out the sound samples from his new CD
• Angèle Dubeau et La Pietà* the all-girl string band from Quebec
• Anthony Newman * accompanying Kathleen Battle *
• Aradia Ensemble * Toronto
• Arraymusic * Toronto
• Barbara Cadranel, Harpsichordist * Beverly Hills/NYC
• Bradly Lehman, Ann Arbor, MI Sounds of harpsichords and related instruments...
• from Dr. Bradley Lehman. Brad is *the* expert on temperaments and his website http://www.larips.com/ is the beginning, end and middle of finding out what they are, how they work and how to tune them.
• Brandenburg Ensemble * with Jaime Laredo and Leila Josefowicz, based in NYC
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation * and CBC Radio Two * coast to coast!
• Canadian Chamber Ensemble*
• Canadian Music Centre * works by all Canadian compositions are deposited here under terms of most Cdn grants. You can search by composer, title or instrumentation. Try searching on "harpsichord"
• Canadian Opera Company *
• CanStage (Canadian Stage Company) * Toronto
• Cecilia Bartoli * (official website)
• Concerto K&oApril 30, 2011inuummusic.org">Continuum, * Toronto Ontario
• Dance Oremus Danse,* Toronto Ontario
• Daniel Taylor and the Theatre of Early Music * based in Montreal
• 18th Century Concert Orchestra * based in Staffordshire, England
• Elora Festival * Elora, ON
• Ensemble contemporain de Montréal *
• Ensemble Noir, * Toronto Ontario
• Festival of the Sound,* Parry Sound, Ontario
• Friends of Music,* Port Hope Ontario
• Friendly Rich and Lollipop People * Brampton/Toronto, Ontario
• Genevieve Soly * Montreal
• Glenn Gould Studio, * Toronto Ontario
• The Highlands Summer Festival,* Haliburton, Ontario
• Il Giardino Armonico * from Milan, Italy
• International Sejong Soloists*, NYC
• John Kameel Farah *, composer and performer, Toronto, ON -- sorta Toronto, he's globe-trotting now
  • http://www.johnfarah.com
  • http://www.galaxydynamics.org
  • http://www.myspace.com/jkfarah
• Jonathan Oldengarm, concert organist * originally from Kitchener ON, now based in Montreal and currently studying in Stuttgart
• Joshua Rifkin * based in New York
• Kenneth Montgomery * conductor, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• Kevin Komisaruk, * organist, harpsichordist and conductor, Montreal and Toronto
• Kindred Spirits Community Orchestra, based in Markham, ON
• King's Consort * based in London, Eng
• Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra *
• Lars-Ulrik Mortensen * accompanying Emma Kirkby
• La Belle Danse * Baroque Dance Company, based in Toronto, ON
• Les Arts Florissants,* Caen, France
• Les Violons du Roy * Chamber Orchestra, based in Quebec, QC
• Les Voix Humaines, award-winning gamba duo, based in Montreal
• Linda Shumas: Composer, Harpsichordist, Pianist *
• Massey Hall * Toronto
• Mayumi Seiler / Via Salzburg * Toronto
• Living Arts Centre * Mississauga ON
• Moscow Soloists* with Yuri Bashmet
• Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra* with Vladimir Spivakov, based in Spain
• Musica Antiqua Köln *
• Musica Sequenza, New York City, based out of Julliard School of Music -- they bought this instrument through us in early 2010.
• Les Musiciens du Louvre with Mark Minkowski
• Naxos Records International * Toronto and Hong Kong
• New Adventures in Sound Art *, Toronto
• Oakville Chamber Orchestra, Oakville, Ontario
• Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment *, based in London England
• Opera Atelier * Baroque Opera Company, Toronto
• Ossia New Music * Rochester NY
• Pacific Baroque Orchestra * Vancouver BC
• Pedro Persone, harpsichordist & fortepianist in Brazil
• Peter Hatch * composer, Wilfred Laurier University, Kitchener, ON
• Red Priest * from the UK -- "Just when you thought it was safe to go to a Baroque concert!"
• Rob Haskins, * harpsichordist and composer, Eastman School of Music, Rochester NY
• Roy Thomson Hall * Toronto
• Rhombus Media * Toronto-based film company
• Sam Andreyev * composer and performer, Toronto
• Sonnerie * London, England
• Soundstreams/Musicools * Toronto
• Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra from Toronto ON
• Toronto Masque Theatre * Toronto
• Toronto Mendelssohn Choir *
• Toronto Symphony Orchestra *
• Toronto Symphony Orchestra Musicians*
• Trépex Music Copying Services * based in Paris France but works internationally via the Internet
• vivie’ vinçent [Vivienne Spiteri]*, performer (harpsichord), composer and eccentric
  

• Harpsichord competitions and festivals -- unfortunately, a short list.

• Southeastern Historical Keybord Society / Mae and Irving Jurow Competition

 

• Museums and such-like resources

• St. Cecilia's Hall Museum of Instruments (includes the Russell Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments), Edinburgh, Scotland
• Edinburgh Univ. Musical Instrument Collection
• The Shrine to Music Vermilion SD
• Hamamatsu (Japan) Museum of Musical Instruments (thanks to amateur builder Harry S. for this link)
• Finchcocks Living Museum of Music, England
• The Frederick Historic Piano Collection, Ashburnham, MA
• Bate Collection of Musical Instruments, Oxford, England -- this link has disappeared, there is only a note that it is 'no longer available on line'. Anyone know why?
• Musikmuseet - Technical drawings of instruments, Stockholm, Sweden
• Canadian Music Centre * all Canadian compositions are deposited here, you can search by composer, title or instrumentation. Try searching on "harpsichord"
• Harpsichord Sounds WebSite, compiled by Dr. Bradley Lehman, UofMichigan (Ann Arbor)
• from Dr. Bradley Lehman. Brad is *the* expert on temperaments and his website http://www.larips.com/ is the begnining, end and middle of finding out what they are, how they work and how to tune them.
• The Smithsonian Institution, References for the Harpsichord and Clavichord
• Early Music FAQ
• Big Duck's Harpsichord Miscellany
• Online Music Encyclopedia -- link removed for persistant obnoxious pop-ups
• International Committee of Musical Instrument Museums (CIMCIM)
• Petrucci Music Library! "Our goal is to create a virtual library containing all public domain music, as well as music from composers who are willing to share their work with the world without charge."

• Organizations and interest groups

• The Boston Clavichord Society
• Boston Early Music Festival and Exhibition
• British Harpsichord Society
• Early MusiChicago -- web portal to the Early Music scene in Chicago and beyond
• Early Music Institute
• The Early Music Network
• Galpin Society Home Page
• Harpsichord Information Centre
• HPSCHD-L The Harpsichord mailing List
• Multi-Period Music Sites (Links) thanks to C.K. Moss
• The Reed Organ Society
• Southeastern Historical Keyboard Society, USA
• The Toronto Early Music Centre *
• Toronto Early Music Players Organization, TEMPO -- connect with other amateurs to play, sing and/or dance for your own pleasure. Monthly workshops give you an opportunity to improve your skills.
• Waterloo Early Keyboard Society Ontario

• Builders and colleagues around the world

• Thomas Ciul Harpsichords Michigan USA
• Dana Ciul, Early Keyboard Instruments Colorado USA
• The Paris Workshop, Paris, France
• Carey Beebe Harpsichords in Australia
• Margaret Hood Fortepianos, Platteville, WI
• clavichord expert Nelly Van Ree Bernard, in Holland
• Peter Redstone Harpsichords, Claremont, Va
• Atelier Marc Ducornet , Paris France
• Gerald Self Harpsichords, Texas USA
• The Harpsichord Center Neil Roberts & Anthony Brazier California USA
• Dorothea + Reinhard Steller GbR, builders in Hamburg, Germany
• William Jurgenson Orgel & Instrumentenmacher, builder and scholar in Lauffen am Nekar, Germany
• Martha Beth Lewis, Ph. D. -- concerning harpsichords, pianos, music pedagogy, needlework, chocolate and poodles. And more! Like how to PRACTICE!
• The Piano World -- St Louis MO "Restoring the unrestorable" These guys love old pianos, yes, even square pianos, and restore them to playing condition with skill and reverence.

• Great places we have stayed -- restaurants and motels we recommend

• The King Hotel in Palmerston, Ontario -- I think this may be the most hospitable place we've ever stayed. Even if you don't have any reason to go to Palmerston, it's worth a special trip just to stay at the King Hotel. The first time we stayed there we arrived tired and hungry at 10:30 at night after a trade show and concert. Owner Joe Sekhon took us into the restaurant kitchen and made us sandwiches with his own hands. The next morning we were off early to give a presentation for the Summer Sizzle Workshop, there was Joe again, topping up the muffin basket for the continental breakfast and ironing sheets (ironing sheets!). This time (November) when we called ahead, Joe said, "Yes, of course I have a room, tell me when you'll be arriving and I'll turn on the heat." And the restaurant! I'll tell you more about that later, Den and I both had the Shepherd's Pie, one of the three specials. It was *wonderful* like Grandma would have made if she was cooking for thrashers and knew about basil and oregano (don't think she even knew what they were...). This place has everything: lovely freshly-painted rooms with new air-conditioning and Joe's now renovating the bathrooms -- new bath/showers and tile -- there's a pool and hot tub, fabulous restaurant, a lovely rural setting, 24-hour coffee/tea/hot chocolate (and it's pretty good, too), hi-speed wireless for guests. This would be a fabulous place for a working retreat for writers, painters, how about a choir workshop? What a minute, how about a harpsichord workshop? Joe has a website at www.king-hotel.ca but confesses he is 'not a computer guy' so best to phone him at (519) 343-3906. Prices are very reasonable, for instance Joe has a special package -- one night room with dinner and breakfast for two, $99 -- absolutely unbeatable.
• Lee's Thai Spring Roll on Queen St -- That's here in Toronto, right around the corner from us. We eat here and bring clients all the time. Lee and his staff are life support for us and a necessary part of harpsichord building. Really! It's not easy to get good help to build harpsichords, because it's really skilled and fussy work and generally hugely boring, but by outsourcing cooking (and dishes) we have more hours in the day to build fine harpsichords. And Lee's food is *the best*. We heartily recommend the coconut chicken soup (best soup in the world and different every time) and the cashew chicken. Or the peanut chicken. Or the gado-gado. Actually, everything is good here. And for dessert, fried bananas and ice cream. Mmmmmm.
• Toronto Marathon Hotels. OK, we've never stayed at any of them b/c we live in Toronto, after all, but we know they're good. Why? B/c if you are in TO for a marathon (Toronto Marathon or the Toronto Lakeshore Marathon) and have a hankering to play an early keyboard between stretching and carb-stuffing, we will rent you a harpsichord to have in your room! How cool is that? Delivery and pick up is included, at a very special Marathoner rate -- just 10% of our regular monthly rental. We'll even provide music, in case you didn't think to bring any -- how about My Layde Rogers Virginal Book? It has a nice "Victory" piece in it -- just sayin'. Or you are welcome to come and visit us when you have some free time, see the mysterious process by which harpsichords are built and play h'chords, virginals, clavichords and early pianos to your heart's content. See, you can run and you don't need to hide.

• Miscellaneous interesting sites...

• Tired of playing standing up in the dark? Concert Design makes seating and lighting for just about every instrument you can think of and their piano and harp chairs are nifty for harpsichord. Sal and Lois are musicians themselves so they know what it means to have a nice comfy seat that provides both the support *and* the range of movement you need, whatever instrument you play. They have cordless lights with that clip on your music stand that'll last for 4 hours, enough for a Mahler symphony or a Rameau opera -- tell 'em we sent you.
• Ready for a career change? Want to be your own boss? Meet interesting people? Just stake out a busy street corner with a Do-It-yourself John Smith Busker Organ and watch the looks on their faces (some assembly required, monkey not included)!
• You gotta see -- and hear -- Henry Lim's LEGO harpsichord.
• Got a tight budget? Dennis Havlena provides instructions for building instruments for a few dollars and tells how to play them, too. A $20 hurdy-gurdy, anyone?
• Canadian artist, musician, and social activist Mendelson Joe.
• Parchment Roses from Italy (wonderful!)
• Find out what's going on in Toronto at The Wholenote, Toronto's Music, classical and new.
• Tired of pop-ups when you surf? Get Pop-up Stopper from PanicWare.
• Irfanview! At last, a CIVILIZED way to listen to .mp3 files. Freeware, works for nearly every known graphic, sound and movie file type. Under "Options, Properties, Extensions" click relevant audio file extensions. No ads or spy-ware, just does the job.
• For all you Fledermaus fans, Bat Conservation International. Yes, it's a batsite, with a bat-cam and live bats to look at.
• Instructions for tuning a harpsichord "wohltemperirt"

• BookCrossing, an on-line registry of books that people have 'released into the wild' along with notes from people who have picked them up, read them and passed them along. A wonderful thing to do with books that need to get out more!

• Claviers Baroques' Animals Home Page. Meet some of the animals we share our home/shop with.
• and our profoundest gratitude to Lee Valley Tools for so many wonderful things

~~~~~~

and now for something completely different...
UNSOUND "low budget performance art" My son Michael's web page - he builds instruments too (with a soldering iron and patchcords - electro/acoustic)

C+L+A+V+I+E+R+S B+A+R+O+Q+U+E+S

Harpsichords

Clavichords

Spinets

Virginals

Forte-Pianos

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

© 2004-2011 Claviers Baroques

last updated April 30, 2011