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This program introduces some of
the most fascinating music from the collection of music books assembled
by Basler lawyer Bonifacius Amerbach (1495-1562) in his youth during
the first two decades of the sixteenth century.
Friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam
and painted by Hans Holbein The Younger, Amerbach received a thorough
education which included instruction in music. He was also a passionate
amateur musician on wind, plucked and keyboard instruments. Music
books he collected are nowadays kept in the University Library in
Basel.
The program is primarily devoted
to the music of little-known composers active during the first half
of the sixteenth century in the Alsace and Baden-Württemberg
regions (chiefly Hans Buchner, Wolfgang Dachstein, Sixt Dietrich,
Mathias Greiter, Johannes Fuchswild, Hans Kotter and Paul Wüst).
LA MORRA consists here of two
contrasting groups: the 'alta' (a wind band with straight cornetto,
bombard, slide trumpet and trombone) and the 'bassa' (lute, flutes,
clavicytherium and Grossgeige (bass viol), joined
by a female voice). All instruments used in performance were in
common usage in South Germany and North Switzerland, and were described
by Sebastian Virdung in his Musica getutscht - the earliest
printed treatise on musical instruments, published in Basel in 1511.
Where to buy
[MUSIQUES
SUISSES] (Switzerland/international)
[FNAC]
(France)
IN THE UPPER-RIGHT CORNER:
detail from the Portrait of Bonifacius Amerbach by Hans Holbein
The Younger (Basel, Kunstmuseum).
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