By now it is well known: in Munich there is in fact no dedicated funding specifically for early music projects. The following quote from an email by the music advisory office funded by the Cultural Department is, unfortunately, quite typical:

Are musicians really fighters? This phrase “we are fighting” appears so often that I wonder whether it truly reflects how my fellow musicians feel – or whether, perhaps, the opposite is true: has this language itself helped create an unhealthy, war-like mindset among professional musicians?

We have already spoken a great deal about the bow—the soul of the violin. But at some point, it is time to turn our attention more closely to a lifelong pursuit of all musicians: intonation.

One of my students wrote this blog, and I find it so interesting and encouraging that I simply have to share it! Learning the Baroque violin! It had always been a kind of dream of mine, since for many years I have mostly listened to classical music on historical instruments. However, my own musical practice continued to take place on a modern violin. On the one hand, that is how I learned as a child, and on the other, it was simply due to the opportunities for playing toge

Listening with an open mind is, for me, the source of all truth. But in order to listen, we first need silence—within ourselves, and of course also in the physical world. Either we create it, or we learn to recognise it. What does this mean for us in Baroque music?

When playing with a Baroque bow, the boundaries between different “strokes” are far less defined than in classical bow technique. In classical training, we learn and practise distinct bow strokes—détaché, martelé, spiccato, staccato, ricochet, sautillé, and so on. These are often clearly indicated in the score, and we also learn to decide consciously which stroke to use. In Baroque playing, however, the strokes blend into one another—there are endless possibilities in how

For me, however, as a “pure” Baroque violinist (I no longer play the modern violin at all), this structure feels foreign. I am always struck when I see a Baroque orchestra in which musicians have carefully studied historical instruments and performance practices, yet still have a conductor—often even with a baton—standing at the front. The orchestral hierarchy and the phenomenon of the “conductor” as we know them today—even within some “Baroque orchestras”—are inventions o

So here we are—the first Baroque violin lesson has arrived. An instrument strung with pure gut strings is ready, along with a Baroque bow, and there is great excitement! We play a little together… But how can it be that such a beautiful instrument, with expensive strings and a specialised bow, somehow sounds thin and not particularly beautiful—when the same player can produce a wonderful sound with their usual “modern” setup?

Please simply bring whatever you already have—for example, your modern violin. Do not try to acquire Baroque “equipment” on your own, as the range of instruments, bows, strings, and accessories is vast and often confusing. It is important to seek guidance from a specialist. Instrument, bow, and strings form a tonal partnership and must work well together in order to realise their full sound potential.

Recently, I and several colleagues here in Munich, have founded an online information and networking platform: BarockConnections.

When studying Bach’s music, I feel it would be a great help if I knew more about the mindset that produced these masterpieces. I think some clue may be found in looking onto Martin Luther’s philosophy of music, because Bach seems to have held his Lutheran faith very close to his heart and mind.

a unique association between music and rhetoric - a predominantly German Baroque phenomenon - called ‘Musica Poetica’, whereby certain musical ‘figures’ (like motives) represented key affections/moods/words. This became like a local German ‘dialect’ particularly amoung Lutheran cantors, and contributed to the expressive power of music – an important part of Luther’s ’theology’ of music.

When studying the violin obbligato sonatas, it seemed curious to me that Bach had chosen such extreme key signatures. Why would he compose in f minor (4 flats) or E major (four sharps) when with the unequal temperament (tuning style of the harpsichord) of the day, these keys would surely sound sour or frankly out of tune at times?

It is tempting to search for musical correlations between the sonatas and certain cantatas, and say with conviction “this instrumental music is talking about … (the crucifixion, the annunciation or whatever)”.

People often ask me what the real difference is between the baroque and the modern violin. Is it the bow? The strings? The way the instrument is built? In my opinion all of these factors can help you to create a sound that will bring baroque music alive, but you can also come a very long way simply with an informed and passionate approach to the music, no matter what instrument you play on. In this blog, I´ve tried to provide some context for anyone who is interested to start

So what is the central theme of the music? Obviously the Four Seasons - but to me, it is specifically Humankind´s emotional response to nature.

the inspiration for his success articulates a core message to all humankind, and the story of it is so beautiful I would like to try to retell it here.

There are numerous studies that prove that both music and nature can affect the human Psyche:

it became clear that all of my work was being cancelled due to the pandemic, so – what to do now?

We had the perfect opportunity to immerse ourselves in the soundscape of 17th and 18th century Munich.