15-22 August 2021

Monodic Song and Early Italian Opera / Virtuosic Singing and Harpsichord Music / Basso continuo playing / Lute & Guitar Music by Kapsperger

The BaroqueWorkshop Summer School 2021 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.

2021 is not just the 400 anniversary of the death of Michael Praetorius but also of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. We also want to commemorate this most important composer and invite the harpsichord players to prepare some of his pieces for their class.

We shall focus on the period from 1600 - 1660 when the Seconda pratica took over and the Basso continuo became the most important feature in music.

Laila Salome Fischer - Voice

Pieter Dirksen - Harpsichord

Michael Dollendorf - Basso continuo (Baroque harp/Lirone/Baroque guitar)

Knut Trautvetter - Chitarrone/Lute/Baroque guitar

There will be classes for voice (Luzzaschi, Caccini, Marini, Monteverdi, Frescobaldi, Strozzi), harpsichord (mostly Luzzaschi, Frescobaldi & Sweelinck), plucked instruments (Kapsperger, Marini, Frescobaldi) and Basso continuo playing on lute, chitarrone, Baroque guitar, lirone and harp.

There will be individual and group lessons in the morning, open to the other students as listeners. Singers will also work on solo pieces and Madrigals and study the Italian diminution practice. Harpsichord and Chitarrone players will work on solo repertoire or train on Basso continuo playing. In the afternoon we will arrange for mixed groups to study dramatic scenes.

All together we'll try to do music from Cavalieri's 'Rappresentatione', Monteverdi's 'Canti Guerrieri & Amorosi' or an oratorio by Carissimi, depending on the singers who sign up.

We'll be working at 440 Hz and with a quarter-comma meantone temperament.

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Registration ends on 15 June 2021 but we work on a first come first serve basis. The number of participants is limited to six per class. Please sign up early. It helps us a lot with the planing ...

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 cancel until 30 June 2021 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 Sunday 15 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 10:00 am - 1:30 pm and 3:00 - 6:30 pm. The Summer School ends with a final concert at 11:00 am on Sunday 22 August.

Price: the Baroque 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....