At 9:56 AM -0500 11/18/04, Forrest Dillon wrote:
>Has anyone been to this summer program? I'm considering doing the 2-week
>harpsichord program, and I'd be interested in hearing about your
>experience...off-list if you prefer. In return, I'd be happy to share
>thoughts about the Amherst Early Music workshops I went to last summer.
>
>Thanks,
>Forrest

My direct experience was 25 years ago, but I believe that the same
quality of faculty and the same high standards are still part of the
program.  Very definitely worth attending.  More than a few who were
quasi-students back then are now firmly established as first-rate
professionals.

Story:  After 2 or 3 weeks of pure intonation at Oberlin, our consort
(from Indiana University) drove out to the Aspen Music Festival.  Our
first evening there we went to hear the chamber orchestra, made up of
some of the finest young players from across the country.  We were
shocked at how out of tune their playing was, to ears that had been
cleansed of the evils of equal temperament!  Obviously we adjusted
back to equal quickly, but the experience has served as a reminder
ever since of how great a difference proper temperaments and pure
intervals can make in the sound and overall experience of music.

John


--
John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411  Fax (540) 231-5034
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http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html