SELECTED VIOL AND EARLY MUSIC LINKS
Viola
da Gamba Society of America
This nationwide organization is a clearinghouse for information about
the viol. The VdGS-A sponsors a very large viol rental program (with
a long waiting list); information is available on the site. You'll
also find many viol- and early music-related links, a calendar of events,
a bulletin board for member notices, and an instrument exchange.
Polyphony.com
This calendar of Greater New York early music events is one of the most
current and thorough available. And it's a pleasure to peruse! The
site also has links to local and other performers
Early Music FAQ
Extensive and well-researched, this Frequently Asked Questions site
answers more questions than most of us know to ask. An invaluable service
that's a spin off from the rec.music.early newsgroup.
Von Huene Workshop (Early Music
Shop of New England)
and the Boulder
Early Music Shop
Two excellent sources for all your early music playing needs, from strings
to music to instruments. The knowledgeable staff (they're musicians
themselves) can help you find what you're looking for. Prompt, reliable
mail service.
Edward Maday
A well-respected maker/repairer of violins, cellos, and double basses,
this Long Island luthier is gaining a name as a maker of viols and vielles.
William
Monical and Son, Inc
Experts in both violas da gamba and the violin family, this Staten Island
firm is often called upon to maintain the Metropolitan Museum's and
Smithsonian Institute's instruments. Repair and maintenance are first
rate and a good selection of instruments is usually available for sale.
Monical and Son also provides strings, cases, portable chairs, and other
supplies.
Joëlle
Morton
With a background as a double bassist, this player of viols and musicologist
has a special interest in the larger sizes of viol and their relatives.
Her site reflects her scholarship; it includes an extensive bibliography
of articles (with some direct links) on viol, cello, and contrabass/violone
and a wonderful iconographic index.
Charlie
Ogle
This ex-Greater New Yorker (now an Oregonian) makes viols himself and
also offers reasonably priced Chinese and Czech instruments, strings,
and...viola jokes.
Mannes
College of Music
The only New York City music school with a Department of Historical
Performance, which is part of their Extension Division. Among the offerings
are viol consorts, baroque ensembles, a collegium musicum, and early
notation classes, in addition to viol lessons and instruction in basic
musicianship. Current viol faculty includes Martha McGaughey.
PIPE list
Information on hundreds of early music performing groups.
Federation
of Viola da Gamba Societies
Violadagamba.org is a Belgian-based site that offers on-line history
and analysis of the viol family, a bibliography, transcriptions from
viol treatises and forwards, biographies of composers, and links to
sites of music publishers, luthiers, viol societies, etc. Be patient,
it loads very slowly.
Links
page from Viola-da-gamba.org
It's not surprising that a Swiss viola da gamba society has one of the
most extensive links pages for the viol, including many societies, publishers,
scholoarly sources, and players/consorts not found elsewhere. There's
also a "marktplazt."
Viola
da Gamba Mailing List (Yahoo)
Viols
Mailing List (sandwich.net)
These links
will take you to sign-up pages for the two groups; by enrolling, you
can take part in (or just be party to) discussions among viol players
and enthusiasts from all over the world.
RipMeister Publications
Performance editions of music for viola da gamba, viols and keyboard. Founded by Daniel Rippe, viol and baroque cello player in Baltimore.
Captain Humes Musicall Humors, 1605
A modern entabulations of all 115 pieces -- for free in a modern entabulation (NOT a facsimile and not handwritten), set by Anthony Chalkley. It even comes in 3 versions -- PDF (for those who just want to print it out or for Mac users) and StringWalker and Midi; the latter versions can even be edited if you have String Waker and Django programs on your computer.
Orpheon Foundation/José Vásquez
This violcentric foundation, Vienna-based but international in scope, sponsors concerts, exhibitions, and workshops in France, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and England—at last count. Professor Vásquez, Orpheon’s founder/director, has assembled an extensive collection of original instruments and on this Web site generously shares pictures and descriptions of them, along with a wealth of information about the history and study of viols and their relatives, music involving the viol, and much more!