The Guard on the Battlements- Music of Praetorius and Scheidt
Despite Michael Praetorius being quite famous to the broader audience, special colours and different shapes of his work are still unknown. Praetorius has not only been a composer but also a famous musicologist and teacher. In his
“Syntagma Musicum” he wrote about sacred as well as about secular music as it was performed at Halle one of the most important German centers of musical life in the early 17th century. Besides Praetorius there was the 15 year younger Samuel Scheidt who worked at the court of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel and also at Halle. Scheidt worked as musical director at St. Mary´s church in Halle and also the first of the towns waits. In the musical practice it was very important to combine the voices of the singers, who were employed by the court or the city of Halle, and instruments. Sources about the inventory of the “Hallesche Ratsmusik” tell us about a large number of wind instruments like shawms, dulcians and flutes as well as cornets and sackbuts. Musicians had to perform during the church services as well as at secular occasions.
Capella de la Torre plays in cooperation with international well known soloists as singer Dominique Visse or cornetist William Dongois sacred and secular music of Praetorius and Scheidt in its original sound of the waits of Halle, directed by the composers themselves.
Sheet Music (PDF files)
Feliz Navidad- Mediterranean Christmas Music from the Renaissance
Christmas in Renaissance time was celebrated by very special high masses. The music during these services was so important that many people did not come as believers but to listen to the music. In addition people were singing and dancing to simple chants with enchanting rhythms.
The success of this new genre of Christmas music was so outstanding that the most famous compositors of the time began to write so called „Villancicos“. A well known example fort his practice is the ensalada „La Negrina“of Mateo Flecha. Reams of anonyme villancicos can today be found e.g. in the „Codex del Duque de Calabria“ („Cancionero de Uppsala“).
Mater Matris Christi - Music from the "Annaberg Choir Books"
[Translate to Englisch:] Die Annaberger Chorbücher sind, obwohl man spätestens seit Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts um ihre Existenz weiß, bis heute nicht in moderne Notation übertragen oder neu herausgegeben worden. Bedeutende Teile der Musik werden also mit der vorliegenden Einspielung seit mehreren hundert Jahren der Öffentlichkeit erstmals wieder in Wort und Ton zugänglich gemacht.
Eine zusätzliche Besonderheit ist die Kombination von Doppelrohrblattinstrumenten dieser Zeit mit Singstimmen. Die Aufnahme folgt mit dieser Praxis einer Vielzahl von historischen Quellen zur zeitgenössischenAufführungspraxis. Schon die kürzlich entdeckten und restaurierten Instrumente aus dem Figurenschmuck der Grablege Moritz´ von Sachsen im Freiberger Dom, wo gleich drei Schalmeien vertreten sind, stellen einen klaren Hinweis auf diese Praxis dar. Darüber hinaus ist speziell für die St. Annenkirche bereits zu ihrer Einweihung im Jahr 1519 die Mitwirkung der Leipziger Stadtpfeifer an der Liturgie belegt. Blasinstrumente waren also regelmäßig an der Gestaltung feierlicher Gottesdienste beteiligt. Neben der vokalen Praxis des 16. Jahrhunderts werden bei dieser Aufnahme deshalb auch die jüngsten Erkenntnisse über Instrumentalmusik im sakralen Raum berücksichtigt. Katharina Bäuml