G. Musical careers

This topic traces the biographical paths of ten different musicians. Given the lack of reliable sources for his identity, the „Monk of Salzburg“ must be absent. The tragic fate of the physician Hermann Poll († 1401), who invented the harpsichord, is clearly recognizable from university documents and court chronicles. Hermann Pötzlinger (c 1420–1469) and Hermann Edlerawer (c 1390– c 1460) were musicians within circles around the University of Vienna: Pötzlinger worked as a music copyist and school principal, Edlerawer as cantor at St Stephen’s cathedral, composer and city official. Documentary evidence about the life of the famous poet and singer Oswald von Wolkenstein (1377 / 78–1445) has been collected in five volumes. He himself was involved in the transmission of his songs. Michel Beheim (1416 – c. 1472) was a versatile court poet of Friedrich III from whom we even possess a musical-poetic autograph. Johannes Lupi (c 1405–1467) from Bozen was in the services of the Habsburgs and organist at the cathedral in Trent; he copied most of the older Trent Codices. Nikolaus Krombsdorfer (c. 1415–1488) worked for many years at the court of Ferrara and then became cantor at the Innsbruck court of Archduke Siegmund. The famous Franco-Flemish composer Henricus Isaac (c. 1450–1517) enjoyed the patronage of the Medici in Florence before entering the service of Maximilian I. His most important compositions include a polyphonic gradual for all feasts and celebrations of the church year which was later published in print as the Choralis Constantinus. This project was supplemented by his student Ludwig Senfl (c. 1490–1543), who worked as a singer and composer first at the imperial court, then with Duke Wilhelm IV in Munich.

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