Exploring Early Music as an Ensemble
Approaching Scores, Facsimiles, and Instrument Choices
Adapted from my article in American Recorder, Vol. LXVI No. 1 (Spring 2025)
As recorder players, we are fortunate to perform a repertoire that spans from the Middle Ages to the present. Modern ensemble pieces tend to be highly precise in their notation, indicating every detail such as dynamics, tempo, and instrument choices. But when we turn to Early Music, we often find that this information is missing—unless it is a heavily edited, subjective modern publication.
To play well, we need to understand the performance practices implied by the score, even when they are not written out. From choosing instruments to interpreting notation, Early Music asks us to read between the lines.
This article explores two pillars of playing Early Music in an ensemble:
Reading modern scores and facsimiles
Choosing the right instruments and tuning systems
1. Reading Scores: What to Look For
From which period is the music?
Baroque (c.1650–1750): Notation is close to modern conventions. Recorder sizes are often specified, and modern editions adapt works by Bach, Vivaldi, and others for recorder ensembles. Original recorder works may need adjustments (e.g., octave transpositions in the bass part). French Baroque music often comes from traverso repertoire; if it sits too low, it must be transposed up a minor third for the alto recorder.
Renaissance (c.1500–1600) and Pre-Baroque (c.1600–1650): Uses c-clefs instead of g-clefs. Music is polyphonic, aiming to imitate the voice. Avoid Baroque-style slurring; use a more “horizontal,” cantabile approach with gentle articulation. (See my article on Renaissance diminutions.) Modal rather than tonal. Accidentals were often not written but implied (musica ficta). Sharps create leading tones at cadences; flats avoid tritones. Choose editions that mark these as suggestions rather than fixed notes.
Modern editions vary in their approach. Some preserve the original clefs at the beginning, others retain the longer original note values while some adapt them to modern notation, and some omit bar lines altogether. Editions without bar lines can actually be very useful, as they reflect the freer sense of rhythm of the period and let the music flow more naturally.
Ex. 1–2. Josquin Desprez, Mille regretz.
In Ex. 1 the edition shows the original C- and F-clefs and keeps the original note values. In Ex. 2 the note values are halved for easier reading—practical for performers today, but a step further from the notation Josquin’s singers would have known.
Ex. 3. Cipriano de Rore, Ancor che col partire.
This modern edition preserves the original notation without sharps, but adds editorial accidentals above the notes as suggestions.
Ex. 4–5. Orlando Gibbons (1583 – 1625), Fantasia.
The edition of Ex. 3 has no bar lines, which lets the melodic flow emerge naturally. In Ex. 4, bar lines are added—helpful for orientation, but they cut across the motives and can interrupt the sense of line. This contrast reminds us that bar lines are a modern convention, not an original feature of Renaissance music.
Whatever the edition, always ask yourself: is this a dance, a chanson, or a madrigal? Let the genre and text guide your phrasing.
2. Beyond the Score: Facsimiles
Facsimiles—reproductions of original prints or manuscripts—offer unique insights into how the music was conceived. Original clefs minimize ledger lines; the absence of bar lines reveals a freer sense of phrasing; and the way notes are grouped on the page highlights structure and rhetoric.
For beginners, modern editions remain more accessible, but as you advance, facsimiles open your ears and eyes to the way composers themselves thought about music.
Ex. 6. Josquin Desprez, Cela sans plus (Petrucci, 1501).
These two parts (upper part and tenor) come from the very first book of printed music. Clear, but not easy for modern players: no score, just separate part-books; no bar lines; few orientation markers. It shows how much early performers relied on listening and memory.
Ex. 7. Vincenzo Ruffo (c.1508–1587).
A part from a three-voice instrumental piece in his Capricci in musica a tre voci. Polyphony like this was the norm: each player saw only their line, which forces active ensemble awareness.
Ex. 8. Francesco Mancini, Sonata I (1672–1737).
By the Baroque era, notation looks strikingly modern. Bar lines, clear rhythmic grouping, and dynamics make it immediately accessible. The contrast with Josquin or Ruffo underlines how quickly notation evolved.
Part-books vs scores: In the Renaissance, musicians read only their own part, not a full score. This meant they relied on listening and memory to fit their line into the whole texture. We can take inspiration from this today: instead of always anchoring ourselves in the printed score, try rehearsing on parts alone. It sharpens awareness of other voices, deepens ensemble connection, and helps you play polyphony as conversation rather than as isolated lines on a page.
Ex. 9–11. Jacques Hotteterre, Suitte I.
Ex. 9 shows the facsimile at original pitch, which does not fit comfortably on an alto recorder.
Ex. 10 is a modern edition for traverso at the original pitch.
Ex. 11 presents a transposed version adapted for recorder.
3. What to Listen For
Baroque: Trills are expected at cadences; in French music, add tremblement (trills), battement / pincé (mordents), port de voix (appoggiatura from below), coulement (appogiatura from above)—see Hotteterre’s Principes, 1707. Italian and German styles allow longer slurred ornaments that are more scale-like in combination with arpeggios. In ensemble, coordinate ornaments—agree on length, speed, and release.
Renaissance & Pre-Baroque: Diminutions (especially in the upper parts) enrich cadences and long notes. But avoid over-ornamenting—polyphony is dense enough. If a voice ornaments, others can imitate, contrast, or extend the gesture.
And whatever the style, remember that polyphony is built on dialogue. Match articulations in imitations, bring out contrasts when they appear, and think of the texture as a conversation rather than a competition.
Voice imitation model: In consort music (except dances), the recorder should sound like the human voice: smooth, lyrical, and blending. Baroque music, by contrast, allows more instrumental color and expressive freedom.
4. Choosing Instruments
Modern recorder ensembles rely on F- and C-instruments. But Renaissance consorts were tuned in fifths, so a typical quartet would be:
Alto (G)
Two tenors (C)
Bass (F)
Additional instruments included D-soprano and B♭-bass, extending range.
The g-alto recorder:
Historically the “cantus” instrument.
More challenging than Baroque altos or sopranos: different fingerings, half-hole tuning, and it transposes.
Requires practice and a keen ear, but produces the mellow sound Renaissance music calls for.
Takeaway: Match your instrument to the historical style and the ensemble’s acoustic. Each size has a unique timbre—consider which recorder best suits your line.
5. Tuning Systems
Practical method: Tune octaves, then fifths, then chords. In consort, place lower instruments centrally.
Medieval (Pythagorean): Pure fifths; very wide major thirds. Thirds sound tense.
Renaissance (Meantone): Narrow major thirds; fifths slightly narrow. Produces rich, consonant harmonies and beautiful combination tones.
Baroque well temperaments (Vallotti, Werckmeister): Balanced, flexible across keys (think Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier).
Practical tip:
In Renaissance music, lower your major thirds slightly.
In Medieval music, embrace the sharp tension of wide thirds.
Apps like Cleartune, RTTA Tuner, and Tunable can help—but training your ears is the primary focus.
6. Conclusion
Playing Early Music in ensemble is both a challenge and a joy. It asks us to read modern editions with care and, when possible, to explore facsimiles; to listen closely for what the notation only implies—phrasing, musica ficta, imitation; to choose instruments that suit the historical style; and to understand the tuning systems that shaped the sound-world of the time.
Whether you are a beginner taking your first steps with Baroque sonatas or an advanced player tackling Renaissance part-books, the process is always one of discovery, listening, and play. Each rehearsal is an opportunity to bring notation to life and to reconnect with music as a living, breathing art.
Links of Interest
Videos with follow-along scores, parts, and minus-one tracks (Ockeghem & Dufay): My YouTube channel
Ockeghem, Fors seulement — Modern score | Facsimile
Dufay, Ce jour de l’an — Modern score | Facsimile
RISM – Répertoire International des Sources Musicales: opac.rism.info — a catalogue of music in public collections, focusing on works from 1600–1850.
