Stimmwerck is a male classical music vocal quartet ensemble specializing in the rediscovery and reproduction of the music of little known

renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass id ...

composers A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

of the

German-speaking German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is a ...

world.

History

Stimmwerck was founded in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

, Germany in 2001, by four specialists in classical vocal ensemble singing; the two tenors, Gerhard Hölzle and Klaus Wenk,

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gu ...

singer Marcus Schmidl, and

counter tenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a s ...

Franz Vitzthum.

Purpose

Their name reflects the ensemble's structure and purpose. "Stimmwerck" comes from a 16th-century German term often used (for example, by

Michael Praetorius Michael Praetorius (probably 28 September 1571 – 15 February 1621) was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of musical forms b ...

) for a group of instruments of the same type but of different ranges, similar to the English term "

consort of instruments A consort of instruments was a phrase used in England during the 16th and 17th centuries to indicate an instrumental ensemble. These could be of the same or a variety of instruments. Consort music enjoyed considerable popularity at court and in hou ...

". Thus, the ensemble is a “Stimmwerck” of classically trained male voices in varying ranges, attuned to one another in skill. The focus of their work together is the bringing of forgotten or less well known renaissance composers of

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad musical era for the beginning of Western classic ...

in the German-speaking regions once again into public recognition. To achieve this, they collaborate extensively with

musicologists Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some ...

such as Ian Rumbold, Inga Mai Groote, and Katelijne Schiltz and actively engage in research. The results take form as recordings, public performance in concerts, on tour and at early music

festivals A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holida ...

, and as their own 3-day annual festival in August, the Stimmwercktage, on the Adlersberg near Regensburg, Germany, which is broadcast each year by

Bayerischer Rundfunk Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR; "Bavarian Broadcasting") is a public-service radio and television broadcaster, based in Munich, capital city of the Free State of Bavaria in Germany. BR is a member organization of the ARD consortium of public broadca ...

Recordings

Stimmwerck records with Christophorus Records, Aeolus and Cavalli Records, among others, and has received praise for their work from the critical press. Their first compact disks, with works by

Heinrich Finck Heinrich Finck (1444 or 1445 – 9 June 1527) was a notable German composer. He served as ''Kapellmeister'' first for Prince Alexander Jagiellon, Alexander of Lithuania, later King of Poland, before living Poland in 1510. He worked in Stuttgart befo ...

(1445–1527), and Adam of Fulda (1444–1505), each received the highest possible rating of 5 stars in “Goldberg Magazine”.

Discography

(1444–1527): Missa Dominicalis und Lieder (Cavalli Records), 2006*Music Web International review of Heinrich Finck - Missa Dominicalis
an
Goldberg Magazine Online Review of Heinrich Finck - Missa Dominicalis
* Adam von Fulda (ca. 1445–1505): Messe - Motetten - Lieder (Cavalli Records), 2007 * Musik in St Michael, Vol 3, (DD Medien, Inigomedien), 2007 * The St. Emmeram Codex (Aeolus (Note 1) ), 2008 - Their most recently released recording covers a late medieval repertoire taken from the Regensburg Codex St. Emmeram, and received praise from the musical press for the quality and importance of the music chosen as well as for the singing performances. * ''

Lassus Orlande de Lassus ( various other names; probably – 14 June 1594) was a composer of the late Renaissance. The chief representative of the mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school, Lassus stands with Giovanni Pierluigi da Pales ...

, Gyri Gyri Gaga - Lust und Leben''. with the instrumental ensemble “La Villanella Basel”. Christophorus Records 2010 * Leonhard Päminger, Sacred works . Christophorus Records 2011 * ''

Susanne un jour ''Susanne un jour'' is a 16th-century French poem by Guillaume Guéroult (1507–1569) based on the biblical story of Susannah and the Elders. It was set to music by Didier Lupi Second and much adapted by later composers, including Orlande de Lass ...

'' - Lassus, Missa Susanne un jour and other works. Aeolus Records 2012

Live performance

Stimmwerck give concerts both in Germany and abroad. They have been featured guests at * Laus Polyphoniae Antwerp *Bach Festival Leipzig *Vienna’s “Resonanzen” Festival of early music.

Festival: Stimmwercktage – Stimmwerck Days

Since 2005, the ensemble holds an annual festival in early August named the “Stimmwercktage” (Stimmwerck Days) on the Adlersberg near Regensburg. There, using such modern technology as laptops and projectors in place of paper manuscripts, the works of a particular renaissance composer are the subject of German language lectures by musicologists and performances by Stimmwerck. In previous years, works by the following composers were examined: * 2008

Ludwig Senfl Ludwig Senfl (born around 1486, died between December 2, 1542 and August 10, 1543) was a Swiss composer of the Renaissance, active in Germany. He was the most famous pupil of Heinrich Isaac, was music director to the court of Maximilian I, Holy ...

(1486-1542/43) * 2007 Anonymus * 2006 Leonhard Lechner (c.1553-1606) * 2005

Jacob Obrecht Jacob Obrecht (also Hobrecht; 1457/8

(1457/1458 – late July, 1505)

External links

Stimmwerck official siteFranz Vitzthum official siteGoldberg Foundation, partners

Videos

StimmWercktage 2008Mensuralcodex St. Emmeram, „Quam pulchra es“ with commentary by Ian Rumbold

References

Vocal quartets Early music choirs German musical groups Musical groups established in 2001 {{authority control