9-16 August 2025 SPECIAL REPERTOIRE WEEK
MILLE REGRETZ
Marguerite d'Autriche in Flanders and Charles V in Spain
The Renaissance Workshop Summer School 2025 will take place in the historic town of Wolfenbüttel, home to Michael Praetorius and Johann Rosenmüller. Also Johann Theile, Reinhard Keiser, Johann Adolf Hasse, Carl Heinrich Graun, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and many other great composers were linked to this most important art loving court. Today it is known for the Herzog-August-Bibliothek, one of the greatest libraries in the world. The churches were Praetorius and Rosenmüller worked and are buried still stand and the town is absolutely charming, nothing more then a short walk away.
Johannes Ockeghem, Josquin Desprez, Pierre de la Rue and Alexander Agricola were Marguerite's favorite composers. Her nephew, Emperor Charles V, took their music with his Capella Fiamenga to Spain and local artists like Cristobal de Morales and Luys Milán followed in their tradition.
Our team of teachers for the Special Repertoire Week:
Ariel Abramovich - Vihuela & Renaissance lute
Laila Salome Fischer - Voice & Renaissance guitar
Michael Dollendorf - Renaissance flutes, recorders and viols
Sven Schwannberger - Voice & Renaissance lute
From Marquerite's court in Mechelen several collections with chansons and much sacred music is preserved. Here is a list of the composers present: Pierre de la Rue (1460-1518), Josquin DesPrez (1440-1521), Alexander Agricola (1446-1506), Marbriano de Orto (d. 1529), Gaspar van Weerbecke (ca. 1440- after 1517), Johannes Ockeghem (ca. 1425-ca.1495), Hayne van Ghizeghem (ca.1445-1472), Loyset Compère (ca. 1450-1518), Antoine Brumel (ca. 1460- ca. 1520), Antoine Bruhier (fl. 1500-1520), Heinrich Isaac (ca. 1450-1517), Nino Lepetit (fl. ca. 1500), Jocob Obrecht (ca. 1450-1505), Matthaeus Pipelare (fl. ca. 1495-1500), Johannes Prioris (fl. ca. 1490-1512) and Franciscus Strus (fl. ca. 1490-1505).
Marguerite d'Autriche was know for educating her nephew, later becoming Emperor Chales V, but also young nobles from all over Europe. The English Anne Boleyn spend several years there to refine her courtly skills.
Charles, born in 1500 was raised by his aunt after his fathers early death in 1506. He became duke of Burgundy in 1515 and King of Spain 1517. Moving there he took is musical establishment from Flanders with him (Capella fiamenga). He also found a rich musical culture there, established by rulers from the house of Aragon, whose lands extended to Catalunya, Valencia, Sicily and Naples. Famous collections like the 'Cancionero de Palacio' come from this tradition.
A landmark melody and favorite of Marguerite and Charles was 'Mille Regretz'. They commisioned setting of it by various composers, only to mention several by Josquin, Compére and Brumel and the most famous arrangement for the vihuela by Luis de Narváez.
Charles died in 1556 and most of the wonderful music for vihuela or vihuela and voice dates from this period. Singer are encouraged to accompany themself or are teamed up with 'pluckers' to study this repertoire.
We'll be working at 408 Hz and at 460 Hz since we have matched sets of recorders, flutes and viols at these pitches, exactely a whole step apart for easy transpositions. For the wind players we provide these consort instruments. The lute players should tune to 408 Hz and have a capo to get up to 460 Hz. Dieter Schossig can make these capos. Please measure the width of our lute neck at the second fret and place an order not later than 8 weeks before you need it. Or if you have short scale instruments you can string them up for 460.
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Registration ends on 15 June 2025 but we work on a first come first serve basis. The number of participants is limited to six per instrument. Please sign up early. It helps us a lot with the planing ...
Once we received your registration form and payment, we send you the bulk of the music, so you can prepare for up to one year.
Each class needs four participants to make it happen, the maximum number is six. This is to ensure intense work. We reserve the right to cancel the class if there aren't enough registrations. In this case the full amount will be refunded. Participants can also cancel until 15 June 2025 and get a refund. If you have to cancel thereafter, you are free to send somebody else to take your spot and replace you but we can't pay you back.
The workshop starts with a reception at 4:00 pm on Saturday 9 August at the Prinzenpalais, and some ensemble playing with everybody. There will be a guided tour through town at some point. Visits to the famous Herzog-August library and the Palace Museum should be arranged during lunch breaks. The Prinzenpalais has no weelchair access. If you have special needs, please tell us before you register and we see how we can accommodate you. Classes are 9:30 am - 1:00 pm and 2:30 - 6:00 pm. The Summer School ends 1:00 pm on Saturday 16 August.
Price: the Renaissance Workshop Summer School is € 630,- for the eight days. Active participants only. There is no such thing as 'just sitting in as a listener'.
Sign up: your are registered after we received your registration form and your money transfer.
Getting there: Wolfenbüttel is a 10 minutes train ride south of Braunschweig. If you fly into Berlin it takes about two hours to get there, from Hannover it's just an hour.
Staying there: There is a Jugendgästehaus, a Bundesakademie, many hotels, holiday apartments and a campground. Please arrange for your own housing according to your needs and budget. Jugendgästehaus is very nice and close to the Villa Seeliger and the Rosenmüller church, the Hotel Bayrischer Hof is the most central, the Park Hotel the most fancy.... your choice....