Innsbruck is a city in the Austrian Alps whose musical heritage long played an important role in the

music of Austria Vienna has been an important center of musical innovation. 18th- and 19th-century composers were drawn to the city due to the patronage of the Habsburgs, and made Vienna the European capital of classical music. Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeu ...

. Modern Innsbruck is home to the International Festival of Early Music (which features music from 1500 to 1750), an Eastern music festival, the Summer Dance Festival, the Innsbruck International Choral Festival and the Ambras Castle Concerts. Other major music venues include the Tiroler Landestheater ("Federal state-theatre of Tyrol").

History

Innsbruck was the site of the first non-court

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

house in Germanic lands, though it was funded mainly by the Archduke and provided with much of its repertoire by his court composer, the resident

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Antonio Cesti Pietro Marc'Antonio Cesti () (baptism 5 August 162314 October 1669), known today primarily as an Italian composer of the Baroque era, was also a singer ( tenor), and organist. He was "the most celebrated Italian musician of his generation". Biogr ...

. From 1654 to 1665, the company here produced several successful operas in the prevailing Venetian/pan-Italian style, some of which even later circulated in Italy. The city is also known as the subject of 15th-century composer

Heinrich Isaac Heinrich Isaac (ca. 1450 – 26 March 1517) was a Netherlandish Renaissance composer of south Netherlandish origin. He wrote masses, motets, songs (in French, German and Italian), and instrumental music. A significant contemporary of Josquin des ...

's song ''

Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen "" ("Innsbruck, I must leave thee") is a German Renaissance song. It was first published as a choral movement by the Franco-Flemish composer Heinrich Isaac (ca. 1450–1517); the melody was probably written by him. The lyricist is unknown; an autho ...

,'' with a text about his sorrow at having to leave his post at court.

References

Music Celebrations

Music festivals in Austria
Innsbruck Innsbruck {{music-genre-stub