Keys dialog

Two years before, I already started teaching recorder for Middle Ages and Renaissance here in Basel at the Schola – there one quickly “grows up” and researches and learns and then probably becomes a specialist.

TC: The music of the Renaissance, and even more so that of the Middle Ages, often has to be assembled and reconstructed from fragments and minimal existing fragments in order to be revived – isn’t it similar with the early keyboard instruments? Can you tell us something about the forerunners of the harpsichord and their replicas? If building plans are missing, what is the role of late medieval painting?

CM: Painting plays a big role, of course, and you always have to be aware of whether it’s a good representation of the instrument or more of a fantasy. There is a construction plan from 1440 for the clavisimbalum – but even there you have to look and pay close attention to understand what makes sense and what does not. Another important role is played by the descriptions of these instruments – fortunately, there is quite a bit. Fortunately, for the Renaissance period we have original instruments that have come down to us, such as the clavicytherium from the late 15th century, which will be heard in the August concert.

TC: Our ReRenaissance series has focused in particular on English, French, Italian and German Renaissance music – you have worked extensively on Polish compositions of the period. Are there significant differences or does Poland belong musically to the Northern European canon in this period?

CM: I think there is always a special “taste” in music, it depends on the composers, no matter what century. For example, there are small special compositional techniques and then also ways in which something was intabulated that can differ and possibly give an idea of what is typically Italian, for example.
Poland, oh yes, unfortunately I have not been requested for Polish music* here at ReRen – but my duo partner here for this concert Sofija Grgur and I are already working on a next program that will rather take us back to the “East”. I played a lot of Polish music, thanks to my husband Michal Gondko. Together with me he leads the ensemble La Morra. Through him and through musicologist friends I became very familiar with Polish sources, or better actually with Central European ones – because this music is a European one, nothing else. We find, whether from the 14th, 15. or 16th century, in the Polish / Central European sources the music from Italy, France, Germany, etc.. Just what I love, the whole of Europe! Wonderful. There is no typical Polish style.

TC: Performers of early music, whether recorder or keyboard instruments are regularly virtuosos of improvisation. Could you imagine participating in so-called cross-over projects, i.e. having Renaissance pieces and Renaissance instruments perform in a jazz formation? Or should we refrain from such experiments?

CM: That’s something everyone has to decide for themselves. I’ve been in some productions that were some kind of “mixes” crossover – if the concept is good and the music is good, why not.

TC: The last question is somewhat aimed at early music audiences – baroque music, as you know, has been experiencing a gratifying boom in audiences for a few (few) decades, and baroque operas in particular are also in vogue throughout Europe. However, the rich treasures of music between 1400 and 1600 still lie largely hidden. What do you think is needed for a professional mediation of this early music?

CM: This does not apply to me and the ensemble La Morra, we have been playing around the globe for over 20 years – our programs have always been from the 14. or 15. or 16th century – if this music was not en vogue, we would not have traveled so much and would not have played so often, our numerous award-winning CDs also prove this. There is still a lot of music lying dormant that should be played again: yes, that’s true, but there is just as much music still lying dormant from the 18th century.
In my opinion, what hurts the business are people who think that medieval and Renaissance music is easier to perform, is less virtuosic. Then there are concerts that are simply technically on a low, unprofessional level, if possible still with costumes, so from the haze of medieval markets. THAT damages our industry and the music – I’d rather go to a baroque opera.

* Editor’s note: A program of music by Mikołaj Gomółka for the Polish Psalter scheduled for January 2021 has been postponed until June 2022.