Church music at St Jacob’s

Like Collenuccio a few years earlier, Lalaing was impressed by the organ he heard played in St Jacob’s church in the town. The nobleman wrote in his journal that “L’église parochiale de la ville a unes orghes, les plus belles et les plus exquises que jamais je véy. Il n’est instrument du monde quy n’y joue: car ils sont tous là-dedens compris, et coustèrent plus de dix milles francs au faire” (The parish church of the town has an organ that is the finest and most exquisite that I have ever seen. There is no instrument[al sound] in the world that this does not play, for they are all contained therein; it cost more than 10,000 francs to be made).[57] This was not, however, the same instrument that had been built under Hofhaimer’s supervision in 1491-2, for a new organ had been installed by Wolfgang Reichenauer in 1497-8: on 6 March 1498 payment was made to: “Wolfgangen Reychenauern, Orglmacher, so die neu Orgl zu Ynnsprugg macht”.[58] Renovations and replacements of the organ continued in later years, garnering praise from another visitor to Innsbruck in 1517. That year, the secretary to Cardinal Luigi of Aragon, Antonio de Beatis, remarked: „In der Hauptkirche steht eine wunderschöne Orgel “nicht besonders groß, aber mit vielen Registern und vorzüglichen Stimmen … ein wahrhaft liebliches und sinnreiches Werk, wie wir in solcher Vollkommenheit auf der ganzen Reise keines mehr gesehen haben” (In the main church there is a wonderful organ that is not particularly big but has many registers and exquisite voices – a truly charming and ingenious device, the perfection of which we did not encounter anywhere else on our journey).[59]

Not only the fine organ of St Jacob’s impressed Lalaing: Maximilian’s chapel choir was also in Innsbruck for Philip’s visit. On 1 October he reported having heard a Mass “à la grande église, chantée des chantres du roy” (at the great church [i.e. St Jacob’s], sung by the king’s singers).[60] However, Maximilian’s singers were not the only individuals whom Lalaing heard sing in Innsbruck, for the chapel of the Burgundian court had joined their Duke on his travels to Austria. On 15 September, Philip’s choir had sung in the parish church in Hall, for a Mass attended by Philip, Maximilian and nobility of both their courts: “Le venredi ouyrent la messe ensamble, avec grande noblesse d’Allemaigne et des pays de Monseigneur, à la grande église de Halle, laquèle chantèrent les chantres de Monseigneur” (On Friday they heard Mass together, with the high nobility from Germany and his Lordship’s lands, in the great church of Hall, sung by the singers of his Lordship [i.e. Philip]).[61] Then, on 21 September, this was repeated: “Le joedi … le roy et Monseigneur, acompaigniés de grands maistres et de nobles, oyrent la messe à la grande église de Halle, chantée par les chantres de Monseigneur.”[62] The list of 22 chapel members prepared before Philip’s departure for his travels, on 1 November 1501, included twelve chaplains (with the organist, Henry Bredemers) under the leadership of the first chaplain and his deputy.[63]

It was, however, the performances of Philip’s and Maximilian’s choirs together which appear to have been particularly remarkable. On 17 September, Maximilian and Philip heard Mass at the church of St Jacob, sung by both the royal choir and that of the visiting duke (“les chantres du roy et de Monseigneur chantèrent la messe”) and accompanied by the organ in all its registers (“et jouèrent les orghes plaines de tous instrumens”) – a performance that Lalaing deemed “la plus mélodieuse chose que l’on pourroit oyr” (the most melodious thing that could be heard).[64] A similarly impressive performance followed just over a week later. On 25 September, Maximilian, Bianca Maria and Philip were again in St Jacob’s for the memorial service for Hermes Maria Sforza, a brother of the queen. The following day they returned to the church, whereupon two Masses were sung: the first, a Requiem, by Philip’s choir (“les chantres de Monsigneur”) and the second, “de l’Assumption Nostre-Dame” sung by the King’s choir (“les chantres du roy”). On this occasion the performance was further enhanced by the use of the king’s trombonists who began the Gradual and played the Deo gratias and Ite missa est while Philip’s choir sang the Offertory (“Et comenchèrent le Grade les sacqueboutes du roy, et jouèrent le Deo gratias et Ite missa est, et les chantres de Monseigneur chantèrent l’Offertoire”).[65] It is possible that the famous composer Jacob Obrecht was present at the event (see » G. Jacob Obrecht).

As with the performance for the wedding celebrations of March 1494, it is not clear how many trombonists played on this occasion, or who, indeed, these were. Maximilian seems to have had a number in his service at that time: in 1503, the Augsburg council made payment to “ko.Mt. busaner Jobsten Nagel” and “ko. Mt. busanern iro fünffen” (his royal majesty’s five trombonists) and the following year, listed “Jörigen Holland, Jorigen Eyselin, Hannsen Stewdlin vnd Vlrich Vellen, kö. Mayt. Busanern” as well as “kö. Mayt. busanern Enndressen vnd Jorigen Nagel”.[66] Additionally, a 1503 entry in Maximilian’s Gedenkbuch is indicative of the trombonist Hans Neuschel’s presence in Innsbruck (here identified as ‘ Hans Meüschel’): “Wir haben vnnserm Pusauner Hannsen Meüschel haimtzuziehen erlaubt” (We have allowed our trombonist, Hans Meuschel, to return home).[67] Augustin Schubinger, mentioned earlier, was by that time in Philip’s employ, and from around 1500 had seemingly made the cornetto, rather than the trombone, his instrument of choice. Schubinger was known to have performed together with Philip’s choir in this capacity and he may in fact have done so during this 1503 visit to Innsbruck. He certainly accompanied Philip on this European tour: when the Duke visited the court of Ferdinand and Isabella in Toledo in May 1502, then that of his sister Margaret and Philibert of Savoy in April 1503, Lalaing wrote of the choir’s performances at the two courts, noting the brilliance of Augustin’s playing.[68]