The Playfords embrace the historical practice of improvisation, where harmonies, bass lines, and variations were strongly influenced by the performers' preferences and talents.
Performer Biography
The Playfords have performed at various festivals and venues, including Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, MDR-Musiksommer, Gewandhaus Leipzig, and the Berliner Philharmonie.
Composition History
The ensemble The Playfords is named after John and Henry Playford, whose legendary collection 'The English Dancing Master' (first published in 1651) contained melodies and dance instructions without arrangements.
Cultural Impact
The Playfords created the annual 'playground festival of early music folk' in Weimar, a platform for innovative approaches to early music and dialogue between European and non-European musical traditions.
Performer Biography
The Playfords, formed in Weimar in 2001, are an early music ensemble known for improvising on stage, embodying historically informed performance.
Album & Artwork
The album title, 'garlic & onions', and its subtitle, 'Bittersweet Ballads, Culinary Dances and Savoury Tunes from England (17th-19th Century)', reflect the culinary and historical themes of the music.
Instruments
The recording features a variety of period instruments, including recorders by Christoph Trescher and Ralf Netsch, a baroque violin by Sebastian Mende, and a lute by Frank Krüger.
