Woman Reading a Letter, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1663

Looking for more to read, watch, and learn about early music, art, news, and more? Check out these links.

Once a month, we will gather the top 10 links from the Bonus Content section in our weekly newsletter for Premium subscribers, Tafel Notes. Here are the favourite articles and videos from April.

  1. WATCH Our talented oboist Marco Cera returned with another video! In this video, hear Pachelbel’s Canon arranged for three oboes—and watch multiple Marcos perform on oboe, guitar, and bass.
     
  2. READ Who blinded J.S. Bach? In April 1750 Bach went under the knife of English eye surgeon John Taylor with disastrous results.
     
  3. WATCH In this short documentary from our friends Opera Atelier, go behind-the-scenes with the company’s singers, the artists of Atelier Ballet, and Tafelmusik, to get an insider look at their upcoming production of Handel's The Resurrection.
     
  4. LISTEN Craving a good nap? This collection of classical music playlists for sleep, from BBC Music Magazine, is sure to help you soothe your mind, and help you drift off.
     
  5. LISTEN “Bach's Favorite Instrument You've Probably Never Heard Of”: in this piece from NPR, learn about the long-lost lautenwerck.
     
  6. WATCH In her home studio, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra violinist Elizabeth Loewen Andrews—a familiar face on the Tafelmusik stage—performs the first movement of Beethoven's Violin Sonata no. 5 in F Major, also called the Spring Sonata.
     
  7. WATCH A museum of miniatures and models in Germany recently set a new world record: the longest melody played by a model train. In this video shared by CNN, watch the train play a classical music medley as it passes by crystal glasses—and, see if you can name every piece you hear!
     
  8. READ Missing the Louvre in Paris? Or, never been, but dream of going? The museum has recently put their entire collection online to explore, for free: visitors can browse more than 480,000 works in the Musée du Louvre and Musée National Eugène-Delacroix. Updated on a daily basis, it is the result of the continuous research and documentation efforts carried out by teams of experts from both museums.
     
  9. READ The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh will be a much smaller affair than other state or ceremonial funerals, but what music will be included as part of the order of service? BBC Music Magazine reports.
     
  10. WATCH French actors are pining to get back on stage, but they've had to be content with performing from behind the windows of a fashion boutique.

Image: Woman Reading a Letter, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1663 courtesy of The Rijksmuseum.

 

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