Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, Movement 1: With Scordatura Viola Substitutions [PERFORMANCE]

The Sixth Brandenburg Concerto is one of the most endearing and enduring works featuring the viola. While often performed, a principal complication is the instrumentation involving two viole da gamba - often substituted with cellos or violas, both with drawbacks.

Andrew Filmer's doctoral research at the New Zealand School of Music, sponsored by Education New Zealand and supervised by Prof. Donald Maurice, has resulted in a new substitution involving scordatura (retuned) violas. In addition to providing a solution in the Concerto, this approach presents a novel approach to scordatura by calibrating the tuning to the instruments resonant frequencies.

Andrew Filmer and John Roxburgh, violas
Leoni Wittchow and Megan Ward, scordatura violas (viola da gamba parts)
Lucy Gijsbers, cello
Dr Richard Hardie, bass
Douglas Mews, harpsichord

Advisors:
Prof. Donald Maurice
Robert Oliver, gambist
Shelley Wilkinson, period performance specialist

Technical support: Roy Carr

Additional support sponsored by a grant from the New Zealand School of Music

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Brandenburg
• Concerto
• Bach
• Scordatura
• Viola