Music traditions of the Innsbruck court
By inheriting Sigmund’s Innsbruck palace, Maximilian acquired a residence that had a rich history of music-making. Due to the former Archduke’s generous income from the province, he had been able to sustain a cohort of musicians that comprised a trumpeters’ corps whose numbers varied between three and ten, a wind band of around four members (shawms and slide brass instrument) as well as individual lutenists, harpists and a court organist (» D. Hofmusik. Innsbruck; » G. Nicolaus Krombsdorfer; » K. Leopold-Codex). It was these musicians that had been drawn on for Sigmund’s wedding to Katharina of Saxony in February 1484, which, according to those in attendance, brought together all of Germany’s nobility in a celebration that lasted for more than eight days. The pilgrim Felix Faber wrote in his diary (1484): “Having entered into this town, we found it full of noblefolk and armed men. Princes, counts and barons had come to visit the archduke, because at this moment the souverain celebrated his wedding to the daughter of the Duke of Saxony: it was for this reason that the nobility of all Germany had assembled here.”[13] The Hofmarschall was instructed to ready the trumpeters, pipers and singers (presumably of St Jacob’s) who would participate in various elements of the festivities, including the procession to the church, the wedding banquet, joust and dance. As Johann Nohen von Hirschfeldt noted, „daselbst ward Hof gehalten mit aller Köstligkeit acht tag und lenger, mit rennen und stechen, dantzen und springen“.[14] While Sigmund’s dwindling finances resulted in a decline in his musical patronage by the end of his rule, the core of his musical establishment endured: six trumpeters, a trombonist and drummer all transferred their allegiance to Maximilian in 1490, as did the great court organist Paul Hofhaimer.[15]
[13] Felix Faber (1923, 33): “In dieselbe [Innsbruck] eingetreten, fanden wir sie voll von Adeligen und Bewaffneten. Fürsten, Grafen und Barone waren zum Erzherzog gekommen, denn gerade feierte der Landesfürst mit der Tochter des Sachsenherzogs Hochzeit; zu dieser Feier war der Adel aus ganz Deutschland zusammengeströmt.”
[1] Maximilian was elected King of the Romans in 1486. He succeeded his father, Friedrich III, as head of the House of Habsburg in 1493, but only received the title of Emperor in 1508. For clarity, he will be referred to here as king. At this time, Upper Austria (“Oberösterreich”) comprised Tyrol, parts of the Upper Rhine, East Swabia, Alsace and the Vorlande at the east end of Lake Constance: see Benecke 1982, 35; Wiesflecker-Friedhuber 1996, 131f.
[2] Benecke 1982, pp. 35-6; Wiesflecker-Friedhuber 2005, 126f.
[3] „…ihn herrlich empfienge, und unter andern Kurzweilen, zu den Tyrolischen Fundgruben führte“. Birken 1668, 1012.
[4] See, for example, Drexel 2001, 603; Höpfel 1989, 20.
[5] “Deren Gewerkleute, an der zahl 7400, unter fliegendem Fahn in schöner ordnung, ihnen entgegen kamen, und nach des Erzherzogen befehl, vor dem Röm. König sich auf die kniehe warfen.” Birken 1668, 1012f.
[6] “Sie brachten ihm auch Geschenke, etliche güldene Schüsseln voll Rheinischer Goldgulden, und ungearbeitetes Silber bey 100 Pfunde. Es kamen auch Venedische Gesandten, die ihn, mit Widergabe etlicher dem Erzhaus vordessen abgenommenen Plätze, zu versöhnen begehrten: weil sie vernommen hatten, daß sie ihn forthin zum Nachbarn haben würden.“ Birken 1668, 1012f.
[7] “Rhætica dum tellus vult se summittere Summo Æmilio, fossor prævius ecce venit. Aurea, se talem tali probat, illa, ministro: hinc auro plenas obtulit iste manûs.” Birken 1668, 1013. I would like to thank Alison Samuels for the translation of this epigram and James Robson for further advice about its meaning.
[8] “Tyrol sein Bergleut-Heer dem Helden schickt entgegen, itzt da es selbst sich will zu dessen füssen legen. Es heiset ihn willkomm durch Gold in ihrer Hand: Weil es, durch ihren Fleis, sich weist ein güldnes Land.” Birken 1668, 1012.
[9] “Aber Erzh. Sigmund, der nun ein hohes Alter auf sich, und keinen Leibs Erben mehr zuhoffen hatte, auch zu den Regirungssorgen verdrossen war, beschickte seine Landstände nach Insbruck, sprache sie ledig von ihrer Eidspflicht, und hiesse sie dem Röm. König, als ihrem angehenden Landsfürsten, schwören, den er, in ihrer gegenwart, an Sohns stat aufnahme, ihm alle von Vatter ererbte Länder abtratte und übergabe…” Birken 1668, 1013.
[10] Wiesflecker-Friedhuber 2005, 128. See also Jäger 1874.
[11] Drexel 2001, 602-3; Senn 1954, 1-2.
[12] For the Mitterhof, see » Leitbild F. with commentary. Further details of Maximilian’s relationship with Innsbruck are in Senn 1954, 19; Fritz 1968; Cuyler 1973; Benecke 1982; Wiesflecker-Friedhuber 1996 and 2005.
[13] Felix Faber (1923, 33): “In dieselbe [Innsbruck] eingetreten, fanden wir sie voll von Adeligen und Bewaffneten. Fürsten, Grafen und Barone waren zum Erzherzog gekommen, denn gerade feierte der Landesfürst mit der Tochter des Sachsenherzogs Hochzeit; zu dieser Feier war der Adel aus ganz Deutschland zusammengeströmt.”
[17] A tun of wine was awarded to the organist in January 1498: see Wiesflecker 1993, 269 (no. 5756).
[18] Wiesflecker 1993, p. 222 (no. 5364).
[19] Busch-Salmen 1992, pp. 64f.; Schuler 1995, 13.
[20] See also » I. The court chapel of Maximilian I.
[22] The Triumphzug was never completed, and its woodcut images therefore include a number of empty banners, which were to contain phrases introducing many of the personnel presented. However, the intended content of the plaques can be reconstructed from the initial manuscript programme for the images, which was dictated by Maximilian himself and refers to several musicians by name.
[24] For example, the Augsburg civic accounts of 1490 include payment of: “4 fl. des kunigs zwayen luttenschlager, Artus vnd Lenhart”. D-Asa (Stadtarchiv Augsburg), Baumeisterbücher Nr. 84 (1490), fol. 17r.
[28] Wiesflecker 1971-1986, vol. 5, 401-2.
[29] Weiss 2010, 56.
[30] Hochrinner 1966, 33-39.
[31] Archivio di Stato di Modena est disp amb germ, busta 1, undated letter, recto. A summary of the letter is presented in Regesta Imperii Online XIV,1 n. 2877: http://www.regesta-imperii.de/id/1493-12-24_1_0_14_1_0_2882_2877 (accessed 01.11.2019).
[32] Archivio di Stato di Modena est disp amb germ, busta 1, undated letter, verso. A summary of the letter is presented in Regesta Imperii Online XIV,1 n. 2877: http://www.regesta-imperii.de/id/1493-12-24_1_0_14_1_0_2882_2877 (accessed 01.11.2019). Dances at Maximilian’s court will be discussed further in » I. Civic and courtly dancing.
[33] “parte in ballare e parte in videre zugare la prefata Domina Archiducesa con alchuni altri Signori et cavaleri de li suoi et de li nostri. E queste feste qualchi volta sono facte in publico, et qualchi volta privatamente ne la camera nostra.” Calvi 1888, 48.
[34] Tiroler Landesarchiv Innsbruck (A-Ila), Maximiliana XIV/1493, fol. 103. Summary in Regesta Imperii Online,
RI XIV,1 n. 2878: http://www.regesta-imperii.de/id/1493-12-24_2_0_14_1_0_2883_2878 (accessed 01.11.2019).
[35] Quoted in: Köfler and Caramelle 1982, 208.
[37] Regesta Imperii XIV Nr. 25967: Archivio di Stato di Mantova, Agonz, E/II/2, busta 429, Nr 6.
[38] Waldner 1897/98, 11.
[39] Waldner 1897/98, 14.
[41] Hochrinner 1966, 44.
[42] Pandolfo Collenuccio, Innsbruck, to Ercole d’Este, 18 March 1494: Archivio di Stato di Modena dis amb germ, busta 1, recto. Summary of the letter in: Regesta Imperii Online, RI XIV,1 n. 478: http://www.regesta-imperii.de/id/1494-03-16_1_0_14_1_0_482_478. See also Wiesflecker Bd. I, 368.
[43] This was Perkin Warbeck, pretender to the English throne, who claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, the missing second son of Edward IV.
[44] See Green 2012; Grassl 2019.
[46] Quoted in Meconi 2003, 27.
[47] Further on Maximilian’s chapel singers, see » I. The court chapel of Maximilian I.
[48] Waldner 1897/98, 20-21.
[49] Senn 1954, 39–44; See also Waldner 1897/98, 33–34.
[53] D-Asa (Stadtarchiv Augsburg), Baumeisterbücher Nr. 101 (1507), fol. 24v and Nr. 102 (1508), fol. 24v.
[55] Indeed, from 1516 until 1521, the two young princesses Anna of Hungary and Maria of Austria were resident at the Innsbruck palace and had several musicians in their employ. See Waldner 1897/98, 59 and Senn 1954, 46–47.
[56] Gachard 1876, 309.
[57] Gachard 1876, 310.
[58] Senn 1954, 39-40, also regarding the subsequent repair of the organ by Balthasar Streng in 1502.
[60] Gachard 1876, 319.
[61] Gachard 1876, 311.
[62] Gachard 1876, 315.
[63] Meconi 2003, 62.
[64] Gachard 1876, 313.
[65] Gachard 1876, 316–317.
[66] D-Asa (Stadtarchiv Augsburg), Baumeisterbücher Nr. 97 (1503), fol. 28r and Nr. 98 (1504), fol. 26r-v.
[67] Wessely 1956, 111.
[68] Meconi 2003, 35. See » I. Instrumentalkünstler; » G. Augustin Schubinger.
[69] Gachard 1876, 314.
[70] Gachard 1876, 320.
[71] Sanuto’s diaries are published in Barozzi 1880.
[72] Barozzi 1880, column 217.
[73] Barozzi 1880, column 216.
[74] Barozzi 1880, column 215.
[75] According to Benecke 1982, 94, Maximilian visited Innsbruck 22 times between 1498 and 1518.
Empfohlene Zitierweise:
Helen Coffey: “Music and ceremony in Maximilian’s Innsbruck”, in: Musikleben des Spätmittelalters in der Region Österreich <https://musical-life.net/essays/music-and-ceremony-maximilians-innsbruck> (2019).