Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-16

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the solo literature for IN.
other instrument. Then he
discovers that the absence Of
keys on the winds and the
frets on the fingerboard Of
the gambia are treacherous
simplicities: that to play the
difiicult music he has to work
as hard on these instruments
Is on modern ones.
Grouping Of instruments
The instruments Of the
renaissance and baroque Pc
RODS suitable for indoor
playing were:
Cd The keyboard instru-
ments. comprising virginia.,
harsichord. clavichord. and
organ.
, ca The viols. Q generic
term including the fidels
(fidula, vielle), nasal-toned
bowed instruments tuned In
tifths. favored before the
18th century, the viole de
gambia, or knee viols. fretted
bowed instruments Of 5, 8, or
Z strings, played In the down.
ward position. like the cello,
the viole da hrAccio. or arm
viols. Of which the violin
family Is typical. and others.
such as the viola d'amore
and the lir1.
CD The flutes. Of two
sorts: the straight or English
flute. generally called the re.
corder and the cross-fiute
(traverso, Germ an fiute)
which survives in the mod
ern orchestra.
ca Tf.s cornetti or zinken,
conical wooden tubes; pierced
with finger holes but played
like . trumpet, by applying
the lips to Q cup-shaped
mouthpiece or aperture.
(5) Lutes and guitars.
Other instruments were
identified with outdoor mu-
sic: trumpets and drums:
shawms primitive. noisy
oboes): horns; pommers; and
trombones.
AL these instruments were
made in various sizes, COM
parable to the ranges Of the
human voice. The common
est were descant (soprano),
alto, and bass. but recorders,
shawms. crumhorns, and
viols were made in six or
seven sizes.
These instruments Cor their
successors) gradually found
their way into the orchestra.
Recorders. gambas. and the
other soft voices were dis
carded by the end Of the 18th
=
century in favor Of the louder
woodwinds and the instru-
ments Of the violin family.
But they are again coming
into favor for their original
purpose: music-making in
the home and in small halls.
Activity Here on, Rise
Washington and its envi-
rons has an increasing
amount of activity with the
ancient instruments. Virtu-
osi include Thomas Schwab,
an unusually fine recorder
player: Douglas Allanbrook
Of Annapolis and Richard
Dirksen, both Of whom have
given distinguished local per-
formances on the harpsi-
chord, and Joel Wheeler,
who plays the cornetto as
well as the recorder with
real artistry. Local perform
ing groups include the WASH
ington Recorder Society. and
the ensemble directed by
John Shortridge of the
Smithsonian Institution.
Willis Gault has for years
maintained q workshop In
which his students and
friends make ancient instru-
nents. and then play them.
Important collections Of old
instruments are held by the
Smithsonian. and In private
hands by David Burchuk Of
Silver Spring. Or. Carl Tousey
Of Oxon Hill (who repairs
and tunes the harpsichords
he plays. Robert Simpson
Taylor of Bethesda, ana
George Glenn Of Turkey
Point, Edgewater. Md.
Atmosphere ct the Glenns
Let me tell you about the
Glenns. George is an avant-
garde painter. q student Of
Hans HOFFMAN,: Eloise, his
wife, is principal Of an ele.
mentary school in Annapolis;
9-year-old David is q promis-
ing cello student.
They have q large Neupert
harpsichoEd. q spinet and q