The story of Frau Troffea and Strassburg’s famous 1518 dancing plague is brought to the stage in a new interdisciplinary performance using historical texts along with early 16th-century music from the Upper Rhine and contemporary dancers.

Free entry; donations

The story of Frau Troffea and Strassburg’s famous 1518 dancing plague is brought to the stage in a new interdisciplinary performance using historical texts along with early 16th-century music from the Upper Rhine and contemporary dancers.

Free entry; donations

The story of Frau Troffea and Strassburg’s famous 1518 dancing plague is brought to the stage in a new interdisciplinary performance using historical texts along with early 16th-century music from the Upper Rhine and contemporary dancers.

Free entry; donations

The story of Frau Troffea and Strassburg’s famous 1518 dancing plague is brought to the stage in a new interdisciplinary performance using historical texts along with early 16th-century music from the Upper Rhine and contemporary dancers.

Free entry; donations

Greifenberger Institut für Musikinstrumentenkunde Music-Festival
Deutschland
Tickets

Grace Newcombe – Gesang, gotische Harfe
Marc Lewon – Laute, Quinterne, Cister, Gesang
Holly Scarborough – Traversflöte, Einhandflöte & Trommel; Leitung

Organized with the seminar “Music and Violence in the Renaissance” by Prof. Dr. Klaus Pietschmann and Deanna Pellerano.

Abstract: Recalling Alexander the Great, Emperor Maximilian I credits his domination in battle to the flutes and drums which “uplifted not only the hearts of men, but their sound filled the air besides.” These instruments provided an important, characteristic soundtrack for the Landsknechte, playing marching improvisations to keep troops moving and giving crucial signals for attacks and pike formations, thus standing together with the flag-bearer as a triadic military symbol of power. Iconographical and written records reveal a flute-and-drum ensemble which was active both on the battlefields and off-duty with dance and leisure music. An analysis of written repertoire provides examples of how marching improvisations sounded, and certain polyphonic sixteenth-century art songs – whether referencing religious crusade against the Turks or the Landsknechte themselves – are used to propose monophonic music that could have been enjoyed in soldiers’ camps and hailed by Maximilian as the reason for his martial success. Musical examples of military, dance, and leisure flute-and-drum music of the Landsknechte will be performed on historical reconstructions of Renaissance instruments. Holly Scarborough, accompanied by Philipp Wingeier.

Scarborough, Holly. “On Battlefields and in Frauenzimmer: Contexts of Maximilian’s Flute-and-Drum Ensemble circa 1500.” Donnerstag Akademie. Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Klaus-Linder Saal. 12 January 2023. Invited Presentation with Philipp Wingeier.

Wingeier, Philipp. “Basler Trommeln: zwischen Notation und Interpretation.” Donnerstag Akademie. Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Klaus-Linder Saal. 12 January 2023. Invited Presentation with Holly Scarborough.