early music

“Early music – broadly defined – is anything but static. It stretches, bends, and reinvents itself in dialogue with a growing array of genres, traditions, and practices. This issue explores how early music and its practices thrive at these various intersections today”, writes Lasse Lehtonen.

The output of Ensemble Gamut! and its individual members showcases a trend where historically informed becomes the all-inspired.

What can early music have to offer to the culture of music performances at large that the latter does not already have? Quite a lot, as Vancouver-based choir conductor Kari Turunen and versatile soprano Tuuli Lindeberg discover when talking about performing early music, its special nature and its interfaces.

What happens when a composer turns away from the lush, uniform sound of the Romantic orchestra? In this column by composer Olli Virtaperko, the journey from early music instruments to contemporary orchestral challenges reveals a fresh perspective on navigating between different musical ideals.

Aino Peltomaa and Ilkka Heinonen are musicians who excel in the no-man’s-land between genres, organically shaping their music into something that defies labels. With backgrounds in both early and folk music, they challenge rigid expectations and the usual tendency to categorise. In this interview, they explore the power of collective creativity and embracing the unknown.

"The performances are spotless: ​Kajsa Dahlbäck’s soprano is pure and agile, and her fellow musicians all acquit themselves splendidly when given their chance to shine."

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a boom time for freelancers, according to Forbes. But not for freelance musicians.

"Ensemble Gamut!'s repertoire ranges from daringly and freshly arranged folk songs to Medieval and Renaissance compositions. Improvisation and electronics are also included."

Pietarsaari, a tiny town on the western coast of Finland, boasts a degree programme unique for Finland, allowing students to specialise in Baroque music and complete a degree while working. The Baroque programme at the Novia University of Applied Sciences has proved attractive even for experienced musicians who are keen to learn more about early music.

“Far from resting on their laurels, the 15-year-old Helsinki Baroque Orchestra continue on their chosen path. Their cultural mission – early music – extends beyond Finland,” wrote Elina Roms in this 2012 article about the orchestra. Today remaining vibrant and multifaceted in their activities, this piece provides a fascinating viewpoint to the ensemble as they were in the early 2010s.