At the present time, we mainly play in the wind configuration of cornettos, trombones and a
dulcian. Of late, we have also frequently collaborated with the Renaissance polyphony Cappella Mariana vocal ensemble, headed by Vojtech Semerad.
The opening concert of the Oregon Bach Collegium's 2012-13 season presents Ensemble Primo Seicento - with music for cornetto, violin, sackbut,
dulcian, voices and organ - at 3 p.m.
Mallavibarrena and Abello chose to forgo that practice and lend extra support to the bass voices by doubling their parts using organ and
dulcian (an early bassoon, not to be confused with the doucaine or dolzaina).
The instruments utilized, usefully illustrated in the booklet, include the shawm family, the recorder consort, the crumhorn consort,
dulcian, sackbut, slide trumpet, bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, lutes, guitar, harp, drums, and tabor.
Let us just take a closer look at Pickett's instrumentarium: shawms and sackbuts are there, as are trumpets, cornetts, the recorder and the bass
dulcian, all of which might just be plausible in the wind-band context, but the question whether they would have doubled the voices remains to be resolved.
The ensemble had available three keyboard instruments (a regal and two virginals), a host of wind instruments, including three sackbuts, a
dulcian and 23 types of cornetto, as well as 13 string instruments.
Kate Rogers (Renaissance violin) and Bodie Pfost (sackbut) will join ensemble members Doug Sears (cornetto), Jim Rich (
dulcian) and Margret Gries (organ) in music by Frescobaldi, Donati, Rossi, Cesare, Riccio and Cima.
Performing will be Doug Sears, cornetto and vocals; Sarah Viens, cornetto and recorder; Jim Rich,
dulcian, recorder and vocals; and Margret Gries, harpsichord and organ.
In the Schola Cantorum I had the chance to hear instruments that are not usually taught at other schools, even those with a similar focus--for example the zink (a form of cornet), the
dulcian, the shawm.
(49) The instruments best suited for doubling the bass line, according to Praetorius, are the bass viol, bassoon,
dulcian, trombone and, interestingly, a voice with an added text.
Flemish painting of the Golden Age is a relatively fruitful source of
dulcian iconography.(2) One thematic group of paintings which sometimes include a
dulcian, among many other instruments, is that comprising allegorical representations of the sense of hearing or of music.
There is one thematic group of Spanish pictures, in particular, that features the
dulcian with some frequency: namely, paintings of the Virgin or Mare de Deu (Mother of God) of Montserrat.