Heinrich Isaac – and the Choralis Constantinus

Holy Ursula und the 11,000 virgins

At the turn of the 15th century, the composer Henry Isaac (c. 1450-1517) was a dominant figure in the courts of Europe, and his musical output drew on the cultural heritage of a continent heading towards the Renaissance. His many travels and encounters contributed to the richness and diversity of his output: Florence at the Medici court, Rome and Austria in the service of Maximilian I, Germany in the Duchy of Saxony and at the court of Passau in Bavaria, and finally Switzerland on the occasion of the Constance Diet.

The starting point for this concert is the repertoire for the Proprium Mass contained in the collection of polyphonic motets Choralis Constantinus (Nuremberg, 1550-55), in particular the motets Virginalis turma sexus, composed for the feast of Saint Ursula and the 11,000 virgins. The text of this composition, probably written in the 9th century, describes the legend of the pilgrimage of St. Ursula and her companions to Rome. In the work of Isaac (and his pupil Ludwig Senfl), the textual and musical elements of this originally monodic sequence are sometimes set for several voices.

In addition to vocal works, organ and lute tablatures of the works of Isaac and his contemporaries will form an important part of the program. Our organ has recently been modeled after a facsimile of an Italian organ positive from the late 15th century. The model is based on a representation of an inlay of a choir stall preserved in the collegiate church of San Quirico d'Orcia in Tuscany. The inlay probably represents the organ used at the court of Siena, and resembles the type of organ positive used by Isaac or one of the organists who accompanied his travels. It is the first time that an instrument of this type has been used for such a project today. Its sound, which is very different from the organs used so far to interpret the music of Isaac and his contemporaries, will add a special color to our work.

Musicians: Maria Andrea Parias - soprano | Giovanna Baviera - mezzo, viola da gamba | Ivo Haun - tenor | Ryosuke Sakamoto – Laute, Viola da Gamba | Catalina Vicens - organ positive | Joel Frederiksen - bass, lute