Frequently asked questions
about the Internet Renaissance Band
What is "early music"?
People who are interested in early music often do not agree about what it is, but a common definition is European music prior to the death of Johann Sebastian Bach, who died in 1750. My interests lie in the music of the European Mediæval period, or "Middle Ages " (ca. 300 - ca. 1450), and the European Renaissance (ca. 1450 - ca. 1620). The period from 1620 to 1750 is generally called the Baroque. Early music is marked by the first use (in Europe, at least), development, and perfection of "polyphony", music containing multiple, generally consonant melodic lines.
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What is "midi"?
"Midi" is an acronym; it stands for musical instrument digital interface. It was originally designed as a means of communication between digital synthesizers, and between synthesizers and input devices such as electronic keyboards (piano style, not computer keyboards). With the advent of computer sound circuitry (such as sound cards) that contains musical synthesizers, midi has become a standard for computer-based music. Many computer sound cards adhere to the "General Midi" standard, which specifies 16 separate channels, as well as the instruments, or "patches", that correspond to the 127 digits used for that purpose. All of my files are written for General Midi.
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How to listen to these midi files
There are several ways to enjoy these files, depending on your operating system and web browser:
- Netscape Version 3 and later (all platforms) has a built-in midi "viewer" applet. If your computer does sound, Netscape should play the midis.
- Netscape (Macintosh) - Get the Crescendo plug-in from http://www.liveupdate.com/.
- Netscape (Windows 95 or Windows 3.1) - Get either the Crescendo plug-in (http://www.liveupdate.com/) or Midigate (http://www.prs.net/midi.html).
- Microsoft Internet Explorer (Windows 95 or Windows 3.1) - When you click on a link to a midi file, the Windows Media Player should load and the midi should play. This is controlled by View | Options | File Types, but the association should already exist. If you have another program as the default midi file player under Windows, it may be substituted for Media Player, but I haven't tried this.
- Any Windows web browser that allows "helper applications" (including Netscape and Internet Explorer) - Get Midigate (http://www.prs.net/midi.html) or use your own midi file player (e.g., Windows Media Player) as the helper application. If there isn't already a MIME-type called "audio/x-midi" or "audio/midi" or some such, you will probably have to add it - please see the documentation for your browser.
- Any web browser - Download the file using whatever method your browser has, and use your own midi software to listen to it. To save time if you want to listen to many of the pieces, download EMUSIC.ZIP and uncompress it into a single folder or directory. This will provide all the midi files as well as these web pages, effectively reconstructing the site.
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Making the midis
Midi files were sequenced with Noteworthy Composer and tweaked with Voyetra Ochestrator. I've tried several programs designed to produce midi files from musical scores, and IMHO Noteworthy Composer is the best. It is shareware, and the US$39 license fee is a bargain.
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Booking the Internet Renaissance Band
Yes, the Internet Renaissance Band will play for your web site, and if you meet these criteria, it's free! (Here are instructions for embedding the files.
- Your site must be non-commercial - you can't be selling anything.
- You can't modify or alter the midi files.
- You must inform people who access the midi files that they are copyright by Curtis Clark and used with permission.
- You must provide a link to the Internet Renaissance Band (http://www.is.csupomona.edu/~jcclark/emusic/) and identify it as the source of the midi files. Here are two examples, a text link and a graphic link (use "view source" to see the HTML code):
Music courtesy of The Internet Renaissance Band
Music courtesy of
|
I've put it in a table so the graphic will show against a contrasting background. Of course it would blend right in to this page |
- I may provide a link to your page, at my discretion, but I am not obligated to provide a link (I will consider requests not to be linked).
Please read the license agreement, and then fill out the form if you want to use the midis.
But what about weddings, parties, and such? Sure, you can play the midis as long as nobody makes money off of them, but won't that seem pretty lame? Wouldn't you be a lot happier with real musicians, playing period instuments and perhaps in costume? All over the world are musicians looking for opportunities to play the music they love. Some are professionals, and will expect to be compensated accordingly, since music is their livelihood. Others are amateurs, who are often happy with enough to cover their expenses (which are sometimes greater than you might imagine, but often no more than a dinner for several people at a good restaurant). If you don't know of any groups in your area, you could check with the music department of a local college or university, or ask on the Internet newsgroup rec.music.early (sample query: "I'm looking for a Renaissance music group to play at a wedding in the Pomona, California, USA area. Please respond directly to me by e-mail.").
(If you live in southern California, and are interested in the groups I play with - Cucamonga Renaissance Ensemble and Jouyssance Early Music Ensemble - e-mail me.)
If you can't find musicians, or truly can't afford them, look for a CD with the music you want. If the stores in your area don't carry early music, check out the Early Music FAQ, which has some discography.
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How to embed midi files in web pages
Here is an example of HTML code that will work for Netscape since version 2, and for Internet Explorer since version 3 (I think...):
<![CDATA[<embed src="the_name_of_the_midi_file.mid"
align="baseline" border="0" width="50" height="15"
controls="smallconsole" autostart="true" loop="true">]]>
You can play with the parameters; it won't break.
Some people set up embedded midi files as Crescendo objects; Crescendo is a midi file player for both Mac and Windows. I strongly recommend that you not do that: it prevents anyone without Crescendo from hearing the midi. The code above should work fine with Crescendo, with the built-in midi players in Netscape and Internet Explorer, with Windows Media Player, with MidiGate, or with any other midi player that is set up to work with your web browser.
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Why I don't accept submissions
My page is meant to provide access to my own work, rather than to be an archive for Early Music midi. There are three very good reasons for this.
- I don't want to run an archive. It's a lot of work, and takes time that I could spend sequencing new material.
- There are already far better archives for Early Music than I could ever assemble (although the two most famous have fallen on hard times; see below).
- Space for these pages is provided on a University computer, and even though midis don't take a lot of room, the people that support the webserver didn't sign on for an archive.
I'm happy to have people send me examples of their own Early Music midis. I love the music (that's why I do all this), and I've gotten to hear some really good work. I strongly recommend that people submit their sequences to the Classical Midi Connection (the Classical Midi Archives are not currently accepting submissions).
- The Classical Midi Connection was run by Faren Raborn, who mysteriously disappeared in 1996. At its original location there are broken links and other problems, but it has been restored at Midiworld, and submissions are evidently being processed. Mediæval, Renaissance, and Baroque music are separated from Classical and more recent music at this archive, which makes them easier to find. This is probably the largest archive of Early Music midi on the web. The loss of its webmaestro is inestimable.
- Classical Midi Archives - This archive is not accepting new submissions as of September 1997; evidently webmaestro Pierre Schwob is swamped with other projects. It seems to have somewhat fewer Early Music sequences, but it's hard to tell, because they are in the same alphabetic-by-composer sequence as everyone else. But it's still an excellent site.
If there are other Early Music archives out there that I've unintentionally slighted, especially that accept contributed sequences, please let me know.
An alternative is to do what I did, and make your own web page. You can get a free web page at Geocities (the Cucamonga Renaissance Ensemble page is there) or several other places (I'll provide links eventually). You can use my pages as a model for how to link the midis (please don't rip off my graphics). Be sure to register with Standard MIDI Files on the Net.
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Where are the Renaissance instruments in General Midi soundcards?
The short answer is that there aren't any. Even modern instruments with the same name often have a subtly different sound. But then even the best wavetable sound cards have a different sound from actual modern instruments, and with a bit of picking and choosing, it is possible to get a "Renaissance" sound, at least from my Ensoniq Soundscape.
Some general principles:
- Look for substitutions in families of instruments that make sound in the same way. For example, bagpipes, oboes, and reed organs are very different instruments, but they all rely on reeds. You could not easily play organ music on a bagpipe, but if you assign the bagpipe patch to an organ score, it will sound unusual, but not bizarre.
- Use patches outside of the natural frequency range of the instrument. You can't, for example, easily play treble on a contrabass or bass on a piccolo, but the patches have qualities that may mimic early instruments. A french horn played low, for example, is similar to the sound of the Renaissance "serpent". Keep in mind that at least on some sound cards there is a shift in timbre on some instruments within the total range--on mine, the piccolo starts to sound brassy right below the lowest note of the actual instrument.
- Don't set note velocities to 127. Many people like and expect loud midis, but wavetable cards can give a different sound to an instrument depending on the velocity. This makes sense: actual instruments sound different played soft or loud, irrespective of the actual loudness. Most of my pieces are set around 70. Keep in mind, though, that setting notes louder or softer than would fit with the music, and compensating by changing the track volume, can often give a usefully different sound.
Here are some early instruments with the patches I have found useful, at least for my Soundscape:
- Keyboard
- Harpsichord, Virginal One might choose 7=Harpsichord, but John Sankey, sequencer of the Domenico Scarlatti midis, suggests 8=Clavinet as a better match to old harpsichords. The quieter sound of 7=Harpsichord is perhaps a better match to the virginal.
- Organ 20=Church Organ sounds the most like old organs. 21=Reed Organ will probably be useful, but I haven't used it yet.
- Strings
- Bandora I have not heard heard a bandora (pandora, mandura; these all seem to be more or less the same), but I use 33=Acou Bass.
- Cittern I have used 26=Aco Steel Guitar, and 106=Banjo may also be suitable, but I have not heard a cittern, either.
- Dulcimer 16=Dulcimer should work; the instrument hasn't changed in centuries. This is the hammered dulcimer; for the strummed Appalachian dulcimer, I use 26=Aco Steel Guitar.
- Harp 47=Orchestral Harp is not a good match, but it suffices.
- Lute 25=Aco Nylon Guitar seems to work okay.
- Viola da braccia, da gamba Lately I've been experimenting with 111=Fiddle; on my card it sounds similar to 41=Violin, but is less harsh and has almost no vibrato. 44=Contrabass, 43=Cello, and 42=Viola may also be useful. Here is a file that you can use to test the way these instruments sound on your card. It has, for each of fiddle, violin, viola, cello, and contrabass, a whole note (G below middle C), that note plus a fifth below, and the fifth below plus a brief arpeggio/run above. If your software permits, you can transpose up or down to listen to other octaves.
- Winds
- Bagpipe 110=Bag Pipe is the classic Highland pipe, and works well for early music
- Cornetto 58=Trombone is to my ear the best match: not too much metal, not too much attack. By itself it is obviously not a cornetto, but in ensemble it does okay. 59=Tuba has a nice attack, but it decays too fast for longer notes on my soundcard.
- Flute 74=Flute is too metallic, and 78=Shakuhachi is too breathy, with too many harmonics. 76=Pan Flute might seem a good choice, but it doesn't sound quite right.
- Krummhorn, Cornemuse 68=Baritone Sax is not really close (too metallic) but it seems to be the only thing available.
- Recorder 75=Recorder sounds fine for soprano and alto, but there aren't quite enough harmonics for the tenor and bass, although I use it anyway. 76=Pan Flute has better harmonics, but is too breathy. 80=Ocarina lacks breath, and doesn't interact well with recorders playing the same note (this may be my speakers), but sounds okay in broken consort.
- Sackbut 59=Tuba seems a better match to me than 58=Trombone.
- Serpent I have used both 61=French Horn and 59=Tuba.
- Shawm, Pommer 112=Shanai sounds best to me, with 69=Oboe, 70=English Horn, and 71=Bassoon also acceptable. All four could be used at once for the "screaming shawms" effect in a processional.
- Percussion
- Drums Percussion is always tough on soundcards, but the channel 10 percussion set works about as well for early music as it does for anything else, and 48=Timpani, 117=Taiko Drum, and 118=Melodic Tom are also useful
- Bells 9=Celesta and 10=Glockenspiel suffice.
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How it all started
It began with the Cucamonga Renaissance Ensemble, which is actually a class for aspiring Renaissance musicians taught by Jim Stehn. My musical education has been very spotty, and I still can't look at a score and know what the music sounds like without laboriously playing it out. But I play best when I know what a piece sounds like. So I started sequencing the music for the class, and it has grown from there. Maybe half of the music here is stuff we play in class; I've added other pieces by composers I like, or that I was familiar with, or that struck my fancy. I'm planning for this to grow over time into a sizable collection of Renaissance and Mediæval music, and I hope it will be useful to others for enjoyment or education.
When I first started doing these pieces, I wanted to hear the individual parts, and the recorder patch on my sound card seemed at the time to fade into obscurity on the alto, tenor, and bass parts. The sound isn't bad (many of the newer pieces are scored that way), but it wasn't giving the separation I wanted. I started scoring the middle parts for shawm (the shanai patch; see below) before I had an appreciation of how an actual shawn would drown out the recorders. I also tried using baritone sax as a crumhorn, but it really isn't a good match.
More recently I've been trying to pay attention to the ranges of the actual instruments, and to score for ensembles that have some precedent in modern or historical practice. This includes SATB and ATTB recorders, SAT recorders with serpent for the bass (sometimes the french horn patch, sometimes the tuba), and cornetto/shawm/sackbut/serpent (trombone/shanai/tuba/french horn on the sound card). The nice thing about midi is that you can reorchestrate them if you have the right software.
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Some early music links
- Chez Attaignant, an Internet early music bookstore sponsored by the Cucamonga Renaissance Ensemble, provides books about Mediæval and Renaissance music in association with Amazon.com.
- The Classical Midi Connection is probably the best site for early music midis, with an extensive collection.
- The Classical Midi Archives is largely post-Renaissance (although some of my files are there), but there are a lot of good pieces and you can also pick up Midigate, a nice midi "viewer" for your net browser.
- The Recorder Home page, by Nicholas Lander, has essays, bibliographies, discographies, vendor lists, and a plethora of other information.
- The Crumhorn Home page, also by Lander, would be impressive if there weren't the Recorder page to compare it to.
- Early Music FAQ is from rec.music.early and the early music mailing list. More than a text file, it is in hypertext format and has links to other resources, as well.
- The SCA Arts and Sciences Homepage has links to early music, Mediæval and Renaissance Dance, and other resources about the life and times of the people who created early music. Also check out The Music of Thomas Ravenscroft from the same author.
- Ars Subtilior. Music of the late Medieval period is a delightful introduction to the rhythmically-complex polyphony of late Medieval France.
- Pipe and Tabor, THE Morris Instrument explores this ancient "one-man band".
- Arto Wikla's Music Page has essays and a well-organized set of links.
- Interesting Links - Early Music is exactly that.
- Standard MIDI Files on the Net is a compendium of sites with MIDI files of all genres.
- Violink has links to violin sites (as you might imagine) as well as early and classical music sites and performing groups. It is graphically somewhat intensive, and evidently only includes sites that provide back-links, but it is well-organized.
- Catalogue of Classical Composers is a developing site with information about more composers than I've ever heard of.
- Early music is timeless; both the style and the content live on:
- Many modern composers compose in classical styles; Classical Midi Connection has a page devoted to many of these. Two whose work I admire are Michael Starke (he also has a page at Classical Midi Archives) and Giorgio Pacchioni (see also the Recorder Page and his ocarina page). Both have written works in the style of the Baroque and earlier periods. Mike Starke also writes modern music, and Giorgio Pacchioni builds and plays ocarinas. (If there are other modern composers of early music that belong here, please let me know.)
- Bang Lassies plays John Dowland tunes in modern rock style, with modernized words. Their site has some sound clips of both their work and more traditional renditions of the same songs.
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Awards
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This page Copyright © 1997 by Curtis Clark. Last revision Wednesday, December 10, 1997.
Space for this page is provided by California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Although it is intended to further the educational mission of the University, the opinions expressed here are those of Curtis Clark, and do not represent official policy of the University.
