American Recorder magazine: Extra Coverage
Extra Material supplementary to American Recorder magazine:
Summer 2024- In FEATURES for the Summer 2024 AR, two professional recorder players set out to test 43 plastic recorders over a two-year period. Read the findings in The Plastic Soprano Survey Results from Wayne Hankin and Aldo Abreu--the full article text (including models not to buy, models not tested, claims made by some models, etc.) plus their full database and charts for model ranks and translucents. You can also hear some of the soprano recorders being played here.
- In LEARN for the Summer 2024 AR, Lobke Sprenkeling writes part one of two articles on playing in a consort.
Spring 2024- In FEATURES for the Spring 2024 AR, former Board member Richard Carbone discovered that The Man I Love (by the Gershwins) is no longer in copyright. He has shared a two-page version PDF arranged by David Goldstein for SATB recorders. You can also see a pdf of the original one-page arrangement in Goldstein’s hand, c.1980s.
- Also in FEATURES, memories of Frans Brüggen (posted here as a pdf) are supplemented by writings over the years by and about the "Recorder Player of the [20th] Century." A partial list of those writings is in this pdf.
Other writings, mentioned in the Spring 2024 set of memories about him, include when he received the ARS Distinguished Achievement Award in 2001, in the
May 2001 issue of AR.
- In LEARN, Michael Lynn shares music by Marin Marais, originally for flutes but adapted by Lynn using typical 18th-century practices. Read the article and see the music here. His article explains how to play this music, as does his informational video on YouTube here about this previously unknown set of works--and he plays the two duets with recorder player David Dyer.
Winter 2023- To accompany the Winter 2023 American Recorder article on Hildegard of Bingen by Beverly R. Lomer and Sian Ricketts, five music files are also available on YouTube. The sound files record the full versions of the chant excerpts that appear in the article. PDF files are available here for the recorded music:
O virga mediatrix, transcribed by Beverly R. Lomer and Sian Ricketts and played by Sian Ricketts in two versions (score below for both sound files on YouTube): solo version of the chant (in the score provided) with improvised countermelody; try improvising your own, using the ideas presented in the article.
PDF ScoreThree-voice rhythmicized setting for C recorders of O virga mediatrix, voices added by Sian Ricketts/played by Sian Ricketts on three Prescott soprano recorders (at modern pitch)
PDF ScoreAn antiphon for Saint Disibod, O mirum admirandum, transcribed by Beverly R. Lomer and played by Sian Ricketts on Prescott G alto recorder (at modern pitch)
PDF ScoreA piece often called
O clarissima mater, transcribed by Beverly R. Lomer and Sian Ricketts, and played by Sian Ricketts on solo Prescott F alto recorder (at modern pitch)
PDF scoreMusic Sources for historically informed Xbox game Pentiment, including music of Hildegard of Bingen
- Lobke Sprenkeling's LEARN article in the Winter 2023 American Recorder outlines how to add the Renaissance ornamentation called diminutions (or divisions) to your music. To accompany this PDF of her article, here are two versions for SATB recorders of music where you can practice:
Fall 2023- In a greatly expanded article (related to his Fall 2023 American Recorder piece on the same topic), Mark Davenport commemorates the 50th anniversary of the death of our Honorary President Erich Katz (1900-1973). Katz's legacy of collegium playing has developed into a distinct American School of recorder players and teachers. Several generations of recorder professionals later, that school is actively in use in workshops and chapter meetings, as well as in university collegia.
- "Now What?" is the topic of Lobke Sprenkeling's LEARN article, where she outlines ideas for how to move forward once you've taken those first recorder lessons or attended your first workshop.
- Back in person again for the first time since 2019, the 2023 Boston Early Music Festival included much more recorder activity than what would fit in print. Read all about it in detail.
Summer 2023- Composer Glen Shannon, who does many tasks for the ARS including editing music in the Members' Library and music for Play-the-Recorder Month, was interviewed by The Recorder Magazine (which is received by members of the Society of Recorder Players in the UK).
Click here to view/download the PDF - In LEARN, Lobke Sprenkeling suggests ways to utilize a metronome to improve your playing. Click here to view/download the PDF
Spring 2023- In LEARN, Lobke Sprenkeling goes into detail about applying double tonguing in your music. Click here to view/download the PDF. (A video demonstrating its application will be posted in months to come.)
- In 1972, after retiring to Santa Barbara CA, Erich Katz composed The Eternal Day (for alto recorder, mezzo-soprano singer and tenor viol). Courtesy of the late Winifred Jaeger, a scanned copy in Katz's hand is available for ARS members. Click here to view/download the PDF
Winter 2022In a LEARN department Technique Tip, recorder teacher Lobke Sprenkeling goes over applying articulations -- rules for when to use them, and when to break those rules. Click to see a
PDF of the article.
Fall 2022In a LEARN department Technique Tip, recorder teacher Lobke Sprenkeling explains how to play air and finger vibrato. In addition to a
PDF of the article, a video demonstrating these techniques is posted
here on the
ARS YouTube channel.
The LEARN department also includes a two-fold article (
PDF posted here) from Tina Chancey, in which she covers basics for beginning improvisers, then ideas for intermediate improvisers using La Folia.
Musical example (mp3) files for the intermediate article are posted here:
Example 4: A simplified version of the La Folia bass line with a soprano line that fits the implied harmonies.
Example 5: Rhythmic folia tune with dance rhythms; note that, in the odd-numbered measures, Baroque-style over-dotting emphasizes the dotted rhythms.
Example 6: Possible nuggets for improvising over the first two measures of the folia bass line.
Example 7: The entire 16-measure pattern, with nugget adjusted to fit the harmonies.
Victor Eijkhout's video clip of a
Hawkes quintet that he reviews in this issue;
An interview that The Recorder Magazine published about Victor when they commissioned him to write music -
PDFSpring 2022Read the full text of letter from Edward Cipullo regarding the role of the slave trade in creating musical instruments like ivory recorders -
PDFIn the FEATURE department, Beverly Lomer writes about Music of the Ars Subtilior which has several extras to help you understand, play and hear this elegant music from a short period in the early Renaissance (c.1375-c.1420):
A sampling of method books reviewed in CRITIQUE will help you prepare for upcoming workshops (or just to improve in general), including Ricardo Kanji's own
story of how he came to write his study program (PDF).
In this magazine's LEARN department, recorder teacher Michael Lynn covers how to play notes inégales -
also with a PDF.
In the LEARN department, a Technique Tip from recorder teacher Lobke Sprenkeling describes a daily routine, from warmup to cool down. In addition to a
PDF of the article, two videos are posted at
ARS YouTube channel (
a shorter one outlining the daily study routine, and
a longer one that also includes the daily routine plus demonstrations of specific physical exercises you may want to try).
Winter 2021In
Learn, A Technique Tip article from Lobke Sprenkeling pulls together hints on how to coordinate the ideas in her previous Tips (articulation, air, breath, posture and hand position) -
PDFVideo posted at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrFCwqQer8UFall 2021In
Learn, A Technique Tip article from Lobke Sprenkeling, covering articulation and integrating use of air, posture and hand position -
PDFVideo posted at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FHWobxck3k"BEMF Goes Virtual" -- Read more about the 2021 Boston Early Music Festival here -
PDF Summer 2021In
Learn, A Technique Tip article from Lobke Sprenkeling finishing up her topic on use of air, and moving to posture and hand position -
PDFVideo posted at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFLzdVNFVS0Spring 2021Martha Bixler receives the ARS Distinguished Achievement Award at the 1996 Berkeley (CA) Festival -
see PDF Ornamentation: Third in a series of Learn articles by Michael Lynn, this issue covering flattement -
PDFVideo posted on the AR Magazine YouTube channel at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRSCc1oj-NQ Also in
Learn:
A Technique Tip article from Lobke Sprenkeling about use of air - PDF Video posted on the AR Magazine YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEDqlL1J1UE Multiple versions of Walking with Gordon Jacob, a duet composed for the ARS by Fulvio Caldini, who is interviewed in the
Winter 2020 AR-
Duet for soprano/alto PDF and
sound file (both parts); play-along
minus soprano part; play-along
minus alto part - Duet for tenor/bass (bass part in treble clef) -
PDF and
sound file (both parts); play-along
minus tenor part; play-along
minus bass part- Duet for tenor/bass (bass part in bass clef) -
PDFWinter 2020Ornamentation: Second in a series of Education Department articles by Michael Lynn, this issue covering mordents
Video posted on the AR Magazine YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-xLfTCgIl4&t=3sPDF: Mordents by Michael LynnA list of recorder works composed by Fulvio Caldini, who is interviewed in the Winter 2020 AR.
Fall 2020Ornamentation: First in a series of Education Department articles by Michael Lynn, this issue covering appoggiaturas and trills
Video posted on the AR Magazine YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot6uQ36nqAI
PDF: An Introduction to Appoggiaturas and Trills "Giving Voice to Music: The Art of Articulation":
Musical examples discussed in the article: (can all be found on the
ARS YouTube Channel)
Gottfried Finger, Prelude with double-tongued articulation, for alto solo Gottfried Finger, Prelude with single-tongued articulation, for alto solo J. J. Quantz, Fantasier og Capricier, for soprano solo Sören Sieg, Darkness from Ukuvalelisa (Ten Miniatures for Recorder Solo), for C instrument Tommaso Vitali, Prelude, for alto soloSummer 2020Solo Recorder Pieces to play while Safe at Home compiled by Beverly Lomer
Winter 2019"The Recorder in the Streams": Interested in making and uploading your own video to YouTube?
Click here to learn how (PDF).Fall 2019Practice Project: 4th Article in Series of 4Division FluteSummer 2019:Practice Project: 3rd Article in Series of 4Stick Dance by Bela BartokPractice Project PageSupplements to Robert de Bree's Improvisation article
Technique Tips for BeginnersIndices to American Recorder (Vols. I through XXXX):
https://americanrecorder.org/docs/AR_full_index_to_VolXXXX.pdfSpring 2019:Practice Project - 2nd Article in Series of 4Practice Project PageWinter 2018:Practice Project PagePractice Project - 1st Article in Series of 4Six Ways to Make Recorder Practice FailFall 2018:Berkeley Festival and Exhibition 2018 Double CoverageSi Scior Madrigal by Casulana (PDF), entire pieceSenior Thesis on Erich Katz by students at Regis University, home of the Recorder Music Center
Spring 2018:Anthony Rowland Jones PublicationsWinter 2017:A Mala for Pauline, music by Tom Bickley
Fall 2017:David Bellugi Extra CoverageSummer 2016:Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet Extended InterviewHear a piece by Ibert played by Karel van Steenhoven on the modern Helder alto recorderPDF of the music by IbertFall 2015:Geoffrey Burgess Presentation on Friedrich von Heune, with sound clips (PDF)
Summer 2015:Dan Laurin, the "Swedish Recorder Rock Star," gives a lesson to Glen ShannonWinter 2014:Another Way to Play (Adaptive Recorders for players with atypical hands), by Valerie Peters
Memoir for Antony Hopkins 
