The documentation of the Waldauf foundation

Most of the documentation relating to the foundation is divided between the parish archive in Hall in Tirol, the city archive of Hall in Tirol (on permanent loan to the city museum), and the Reichsregisterbücher in the Haus- Hof- und Staatsarchiv in Vienna. Sixty-five documents are preserved in Hall from before Waldauf’s death on 13 January 1510. Unfortunately the library has been largely dispersed, some of it quite recently. The charters relating to the foundation provide substantial information about the music to be sung during its services. Out of the dozens of extant documents we shall discuss only some of those that mention music, or relate to the liturgy. Unfortunately, no known written musical sources can be associated with the foundation, apart from the chants included in the Heiltumbuch.

On 4 July 1496, the papal legate Leonello Chierigati issued a charter that confirmed an indulgence of forty days to those who participated in the liturgical life of the foundation. In order to take advantage of this offer, believers were to attend the mass, vespers, vigils of the dead, matins, Salve-service, sermon or other services on certain feast days during the year. Moreover, they were to pray several Our Fathers and Hail Marys in the chapel and contribute to the building, maintenance and adornment of the foundation.[13] Further indulgences were later supplied by Pope Alexander VI and several bishops.

On 4 April 1497, Maximilian contributed further to the foundation, for the sake of his soul and that of his wife Bianca Maria. He diverted some twelve Marks from the income of the collegiate church in Ambras to pay for an oil lamp to burn perpetually in the chapel, and for a Salve regina to be sung there daily.[14]

On 6 December 1497, Maximilian made a further donation to expand the musical adornment of the foundation, diverting money from the salt-works at Hall to pay for an exceptional organist (“ein berumbter geschikhter Organist”), the schoolmaster at Hall, a teaching assistant (“Jungmeister”), the acolytes and the choirboys.[15] On the same day, Maximilian issued a further charter that specified the details of this donation: each day during the mass and the Salve-service every evening, the singers were to perform polyphony (in mensuris), accompanied by the organist. These provisions were ratified in a documentary confirmation (Vidimus) issued by Leonhard, abbot of Wilten.[16]

On 19 January 1500, Konrad, suffragan to the bishop of Brixen, dedicated the altar in the Waldauf chapel. The associated documentation again specifies the daily provision of a mass and Salve, as well as the institution of the office of preacher, and specifies the days on which an indulgence was to be offered.[17]

On 29 December 1501, Florian Waldauf and his wife Barbara issued the great letter of foundation, which survives in two copies. Those in the city archives of Innsbruck (Stadtarchiv, Urk. 587) and Hall (Stadtarchiv, Urk. 304) were written on large sheets of vellum in a perfectly controlled scribal hand by the master calligrapher Hans Ried. The bifolia are held together by silk ropes and weighed down by multiple wax seals proclaiming the authority and authenticity of the documents. The production of these documents alone must have cost a small fortune. These charters summarise everything that had gone before, including the use of bells, polyphony and organ, specifying the details of their deployment on specific feasts.

A bull issued by Pope Julius II on 19 January 1507 expands the liturgical observances of the foundation even further. In addition to the previously specified services, an office of the dead was to be celebrated every Monday in the Waldauf chapel. After compline, the Salve regina and further antiphons and hymns in praise of the Blessed Virgin were to be sung.[18]

Another bull issued on 18 December 1508 specified that during the exposition of the relics during the market, three special solemn masses were to be sung (in the church, in the new free-standing chapel, and on the relic platform). Moreover, the exposition itself was to be accompanied by the singing of hymns.[19]